Always call 911 in an emergency

Skilled hands. Cool heads. Caring hearts.

For Our Patients

FAQs:

Still have a question after reviewing our site? We have some answers to commonly asked questions below. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact us.

For information about medical records and privacy, please see the HIPAA Privacy Practices page.

You can also download our full notice of privacy practices here: Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance Notice of Privacy Practices

Do You Loan Medical Equipment?
Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance operates a loan closet, made available to residents of the Town and Village of Pittsford. We offer canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs, at no expense to the resident. All loans are short-term, usually up to 30 days.

Call 585-385-2401or stop by our base (8 AM-8 PM) to see what we have available. We recommend that you call ahead make sure our staff is available to assist you.

How Can I Prepare For An Emergency At My Home?

Before you experience an emergency, here are a few tips to help you prepare:

  • We will struggle to find your home if your house number is not visible. Make sure your house number is easily spotted from the road.
  • You can prepare a list of your current and past medical conditions, all medications you currently take, and any allergies that you have. PVA offers EMS Alert cards in magnetic plastic holders to help you document and store this information.
  • If you experience an emergency and call 911, take a moment to contain any pets. Your pets will sense your anxiety, and may interpret that anxiety to be a result of our presence. Containing your pet will help to ensure our safety and theirs.
  • Emergencies come in many types and sizes – not all are medical in nature. For additional information on emergency preparedness, check out the Monroe County Personal Emergency Preparedness webpage.

We also offer public presentations on our services, and tours of our ambulances. Speaking directly with our professional responders (EMTs and Paramedics) may help you to feel more comfortable with us if we are called to help you!

Should I Call 911 Or Go To Urgent Care?

When in doubt, call 911 for all medical emergencies.

The services provided by each medical practitioner in the community may vary. Your urgent care of choice will be able to provide you with information about their available services, including guidance on when it is better to call 911.

What Happens When I Call 911?

In Monroe County, all 911 calls are received by the Emergency Communications Department. These trained professionals will answer your call, and ask you a series of questions. Your answers help the Dispatcher to route the correct emergency resources to your emergency.

Each emergency is unique, and may require support from the local EMS (ambulance), fire department, or law enforcement agency (local Police, Sheriff, State Police). These emergency responders bring a unique skill-set, and will work in concert to address your emergency.

What Questions Will The 911 Dispatcher Ask?
When you call 911, the call-taker will ask a series of scripted questions. These questions will help the call-taker understand your location, the nature of your emergency, and which services to send to assist you (EMS, law enforcement, fire department, etc.). If you experience an emergency, you may feel frustrated by these questions, or may feel these questions are consuming valuable time. Please be patient; your answers help us to arrive prepared to help you!
What Can I Do While I Am Waiting For the Ambulance to Arrive?

Remain calm, and follow the instructions of the 911 call-taker. The call-taker may offer emergency medical instructions while help is en-route to your location.

We understand that emergencies are stressful. While experiencing the stress of an emergency it is common to feel as though time has slowed down; everything seems to take longer than normal. Be aware of this phenomenon, and do not become frustrated.

What Services Will I Receive?

As a New York State-certified ambulance service, we are specialists in emergency care and transport. Our EMTs and Paramedics are trained to recognize and treat any medical emergency. Under the clinical oversight of a Physician Medical Director, our EMTs and Paramedics bring much of the skill and capability of the emergency department to you.

For a detailed explanation of our services, please contact us. We can introduce you to our team of EMTs and Paramedics, and provide you with a tour of our ambulances.

Will I Be Billed?
We are a community-based non-profit organization, focused on serving the Town and Village of Pittsford. The majority of our funding comes from insurance billing.

Generally, the EMT or Paramedic will ask for you insurance or other billing information during the course of their care. If you have questions regarding invoices, charges, checks from insurers or other payments, or explanations of benefits, please contact:

Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance, Inc. Billing Department

Phone: 585-385-2683

How Do I Pay A Bill?

Payments are received via check, or securely online. If you wish to make an online payment, please use our Patient Payment Portal.

Payments via check may be sent to:

Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance
Attn: Billing Department
40 Tobey Road
Pittsford, NY 14534

You may also pay in person at our address as listed above.

How Will You Protect My Privacy?
As a healthcare service, Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance is a covered entity under the HIPAA act. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

For more information, please visit our Privacy Practices.

How Are We Doing?
Your feedback is important to our volunteers and our organization. Your willingness to provide comments is very much appreciated,
as your feedback helps us better understand your needs to better serve you.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts.

How Are We Doing?