Now stepping into its 38th year of service at Stony Brook, the Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corp (SBVAC) has just suffered a budget cut by the Undergraduate Student Government Budget Committee. The annual funding request of $104,000, a $200 decrease from the previous year’s budget allotment, was decreased by approximately 12% this year down to $91,450.
The concern that this cut has raised was apparent among its members this past Wednesday at the organization’s first general membership meeting. At the meeting, which covered mostly organizational and logistics for recruiting, members asked their executive branch and operations officers how they would fund the shortage.
Certain funding requirements, such as the $13,000, originally allotted for awards dinners as a means of giving back to SBVAC members, was considered a “frivolous expense” by the USG Budgeting Committee, said President of SBVAC Patricia Ng. Ng stated that even though they have some money saved, they might have to cut back on critical spending for new equipment and ambulance purchases.
In a separate interview, three ranking officers of SBVAC, President Ng, Vice President George Stimola, and Chief of Operations Ahmed Belazi expressed their concerns about the USG Budgeting process.
Ng called it “heart breaking.”
“The money is going to have to come from somewhere. USG needs to be more forthcoming, its budgeting process was not transparent,” Belazi said.
Regarding the question about the funding for these dinners, Belazi commented, “The Setauket Fire Department spends about $100,000 each year to thank its members.”
“We will be requesting the funds through the USG Fall Revision process,” Stimola said. He emphasized the pain in hearing about the funding cut midway through summer. “Truthfully, we ask for what we need. We’re going to tighten up and rethink where the funding is going.”
The question of USG accountability circled through the minds of Ng, Belazi, and Stimola.
Belazi drew an analogy to SBVAC. “Anything we do is up to question. I’m not sure about the logistics of USG, but they have to communicate.”
At the general body meeting, Ng said, “We get at around 1,000 calls every semester. Yes, we get more calls than most people would imagine, and we have heard all kinds of causes, ranging from stomach aches and shower falls, to motor accidents and alcohol poisoning.”
A rigorous formal recruiting process, involving two interviews, allows SBVAC to find students eligible for the job. This year, recruiting sessions will be held on the evenings of Sept. 9, 10, 11 and 16. The first round of interviews will be on the Sept. 19, and those who pass will have to go through a second round of interviews. Thereafter, to become a member of SBVAC, probation officers must go through a period of intensive, professional training and serving on shifts at the mean time. The training includes patient care, CPR certification, and eventually you may be qualified as an EMT, Emergency Medical Technician.
Christopher Mehrman, Chief of the Stony Brook Fire Department was present at the meeting to give a short speech, thanking the hardworking SBVAC team with a plaque of appreciation for their collaborative efforts.
USG Officials will be contacted in the coming days to provide an explanation of the Budgeting Process.
