Basin Volunteer Ambulance Service Donates Ambulance to KCC

KLAMATH FALLS – Students enrolled in Klamath Community College’s emergency medical programs will learn firsthand how to treat patients in a moving vehicle thanks to an ambulance that was generously donated by Basin Volunteer Ambulance Service (BVAS).

The 1994 Type 3 ambulance is equipped with lights and a siren and has the capacity to transport three patients lying down.

“The entire EMS program will benefit from this ambulance,” said Kasey Himes, an emergency services management faculty at KCC. “Our students can now get invaluable real-world experience before they enter the workforce.”

According to Bonnie Overcash, vice president of BVAS, many of the two dozen volunteers who make up BVAS have taken courses at KCC. She said the volunteers decided together that donating the ambulance to KCC is its best use in the community.

“We are very fortunate to have four ambulances and felt this one could serve a meaningful purpose at KCC,” said BVAS President Steven Moore.

The ambulance has a history of service in the Basin – it first belonged to Klamath County Fire District 1 and was stationed in Malin. Then it was loaned out to other areas, such as Bonanza, for temporary use. Now, it will serve as a vital training tool for preparing KCC graduates to enter the workforce.

Himes explained that treating patients in a moving vehicle is a unique challenge emergency medical responders face. She said having the ambulance will prepare students to perform well in high stress situations in a confined, moving space.

“It can be very difficult,” she said. “You have to become proficient in obtaining vitals. The students will also have to learn to combat noise when listening to lung sounds or taking blood pressures. This ambulance will put everything in perspective – what medical technicians can do, what their limits are, and where they can go.”

Press release provided from Klamath Community College.