When an Ambulance isn’t an Ambulance- October 1st, 2008

(Photo courtesy of redcross.org)

Though it sits on an ambulance chassis, you won’t find any bells, whistles, or sirens on it.

When it is used in Syracuse, one of the Red Cross’ Emergency Response Vehicles, or ERV (pronounced “irv”), acts as a mobile shelter at house fires. It’s a place where victims can stay warm and get clothing and other essential items.

The Onondaga Oswego Chapter of the American Red Cross currently has its other ERV in Houston, Texas where two Central New Yorkers give a different kind of relief.

“She and her partner are part of a team of 35 ERV’s which deliver for a kitchen, and that kitchen’s producing 38,000 meals per day”, says Richard Blansett of the Onondaga Oswego Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In the wake of Hurricane Ike, the Red Cross has more than 18,000 volunteers working in the gulf coast. In addition to food, those who drive the ERV hand out first-aid supplies and clothing to victims.