History of GOVAC
Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps
We may have got our start on June 19th, 1974 however the ground work was started back in 1973. The Goshen Jaycee’s led by Ed Garling, felt the need for a trained emergency medical service in Goshen. Up to that time if you needed an ambulance, a local funeral director brought the hearse & transported it with a nurse from the hospital. It wasn’t uncommon to wait over a half hour for him to arrive. The Jaycee’s’ started the idea but the people of Goshen supported it. On June 19th, 1974, with a second hand rig & 33 people, we were in service!
Our first call was an MVA on June 28th, 1974. In over 30 years of service we have traveled over 150,000 miles and answered over 15,000 calls. Our crew members are made up of students, teachers, health care workers, truck drivers, business owners, officer workers and firefighters to name a few. They all come together to answer the call for help.
Some years ago, GOVAC formed the first volunteer EMS Bike team in Orange County. We have also been named Orange County BLS Agency of the Year. Other honors have been bestowed upon 3 members, Bob Lemin, Pat Hugerth and Lisa Scheuermann, by being honored as Orange County BLS Providers of the Year. Bob and Lisa were also honored as Hudson Valley Regional EMS Council’s BLS Provider of the Year. Lisa has also been honored as Instructor of Excellence by the Orange County EMS Council for her years of teaching First Aid, CPR and other EMS programs to not only EMS providers but the general public.
On June 19, 2009, when we celebrated 35 years of service, GOVAC members said goodbye to an old and faithful friend, our Park Place bay. We would be moving to New Street to take over the old Dikeman Firehouse where we are still today.
9/11/01
In 2001, GOVAC was part of history. For 24 hours we were deployed to the World Trade Center site. GOVAC EMT’s Bill & Lisa Scheuermann & Aimee Vasquez answered the call for crews & rigs for September 23 – 25th, 2001.
Other GOVAC members handled calls back at home. Florida, Town of Wallkill and Woodbury filled out the Orange County group. GOVAC was given the designation of 72D. The first 12 hours we were stationed at Chelsea Pier (Pier 59) along with the rest of the rigs from across the state. As the need arose for an ambulance to transport or relieve another crew we would be sent out. Some crews were sent to the Navy ship Comfort to sleep & get some food. They said it was nice but the guys on deck with the guns was a little unsettling.
GOVAC Headquarters
Our current station is located in the heard of the village of Goshen. Originally planned as a temporary home for GOVAC has now been where we have been based for 11+ years.