From: An NYPD Ambulance?

[jamesbdown 1]

NYPD is not authorized to operate ambulances. They are authorized to operate an ALS First Responder component as part of an ESU SWAT Team at tactical operations. There may be one or more small ESU trucks set up to respond as needed with medical supplies and equipment for the team.

Any vehicles that may appear to be NYPD ambulances are improperly marked as they are actually owned and operated by the NYC Police Relief Fund and not by NYPD. Every member of the NYPD has built-in to his or her union dues structure $1.30 per payday which goes directly to the Police Relief Fund. According to one of the union web sites, the ambulances take union members to and from medical facilities within a 250 mile radius of the city. If police officers are serving as drivers or EMTs they would be off duty.

http://www.nycdetectives.org/police_relief.html

Relief Fund vehicles are quartered at what appears to be an old one bay ex fire house at 38-13 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens. The vehicles do have NYS DOH Certification stickers but the word ambulance does not appear on the vehicle. In addition to improper markings, the newest vehicles have blue lights in a section of the front light bar and blue strobes on the lower sides. Blue lights are reserved under the NYS Motor Vehicle Law for volunteer firefighters responding to a call. NYC REMSCO has been made aware of the improprieties and been asked to bring them to the attention of the NYS DOH.

The Relief Fund is switching over from Type I chassis as two new Type III ambulances were recently delivered by Wheeled Coach. Forest Hills VAC recently acquired a dealer trade ex Relief Fund Type I gasoline ambulance as a replacement for an ambulance they totaled in a collision in 2005. That ambulance was the replacement for the one Forest Hills lost 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center.