LosBomberos2811..................I do not know what year you were in EMS, but your statement is incorrect. It is very TRUE that EMS called the vollies back in the days. I belonged to the Middle Village Vollies from 1972 to 1998 and worked Saturday night from 1800 hrs to 0800 hrs sunday morning. Middle Village was designated as EMS Unit 94 John by EMS and received numerous calls thru the MARS system, which was installed in the Middle Village Vollie headquarters by a EMS radio tech. At the start of our tour we would radio the MARS desk from our headquarters to log into service. After that we would do a radio test with the MARS disp. via our portable MARS radio which was also issued to us by EMS. Back then the usual disp for Mars was Mr. Howie Berger who always was on every Saturday night. After we received a call from the EMS MARS board, we would have to follow the same radio rules as a regular EMS unit, 10-88 at scene, 10-82 to hospital ( 32, 39, 58 etc ), 10-88 at hospital and 10-98. This was also followed up by a phone call to the MARS desk to see if any other info was needed by EMS. And YES we were the only unit that responded to the call and received a call ID # the same as any other EMS unit would have received. We did receive the some calls via the MARS radio, but in the most part we received the call from EMS MARS via our HOTLINE PHONE NUMBER. And also please note that we had also received emergency EMS calls via the Queens Board by the disp's, a few that I know for a fact that are still dispatching on the Queens Board as of this date. ( Mark E Mark ) you were in the old days and are still now the best of the best in dispatching.
And this issue regarding the EMS MARS radio regarding the vollies did not only apply to Middle Village V.A.C., it also included the Glendale, Ridgewood, Forest Hills and Woodhaven Vollies.