There are various opportunities to help our community by volunteering for SWEMS. Whether you want to become an EMT, a driver, or help out with administrative work or fundraising, we would love to hear from you. All of our positions are volunteer and we either provide for training or sponsor you for educational opportunities.
There are three major classes of membership, each with different requirements:
Active Duty Member
Active Riding members are members who want to actively respond to calls. These members are the backbone of our field operations. In order to maintain active riding status, the following are what SWEMS expects:
- Complete all training requirements in a timely manner
- Schedule yourself for at least 18 hours per month
- Respond to dispatched calls if in the area and we do not have a scheduled crew on duty -or- if there is a second simultaneous call
- Behave in a professional manner when interacting with other members, patients, and the public
- Maintain a clean appearance when on duty or on a call
Staff Member
Active Staff Members are members who do not want to participate in field operations, but who wish to assist with day to day agency operations. Staff members often assist helping to write grants, at fundraising events, and with administrative tasks.
Staff members may not be line officers, but they shall be allowed to be Board members and can serve on committees and vote on general membership matters.
Staff members are expected to attend a majority of meetings and special events throughout the year and assist the agency in administrative or fundraising activities.
Junior Member
Junior Members are the future of our agency and EMS as a whole. These are members under 18 years old who want to learn about EMS while also helping our community.
Any youth can join at 14 years of age with parental consent. At 16 years old, Juniors may be cleared to ride on the ambulance as an assistant. At 17 years old, a Junior member can take their EMT exam and become certified as an EMT.
Camaraderie and Freindship
Our members get together for social events and often develop friendships that last well outside of our agency and long into the future. The EMS field forms a tight bond and many of our members have been in EMS in other agencies and still have friendships that continue decades later.
Join Today!
The members of SWEMS would love to see you join SWEMS and join the ranks of volunteer EMS professionals. Click here to open a form to contact our membership committee. After you complete the form, you will be contacted by a member of the committee and will schedule a time to meet in person, complete the full application, and conduct a short interview. Once your application is received, we perform a background check and then submit prospective members to the full membership for a vote.
General Requirements of Membership
SWEMS takes pride in offering a safe environment for our volunteers and our patients. All prospective members must go through a felony and sex registry background check as well as agree to the Drug free workplace policy. All drivers must have a valid NYS Driver’s License and we use the NYS DMV’s License Event Notification System to ensure all of our drivers continue to be safe drivers both in our ambulance and in their personal vehicles.
Training Opportunities
All members may take any in house class for CPR, First Aid, Emergency Vehicle Operator, and many other classes. Members may also be sponsored for EMT classes or attend regional EMS conferences.
