We needed a defibrillator for an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. I worked with Nancy Marone…read morewho sent me many offers and in the end she and the warehouse manager, Sarena Betancourt, were able to get a beaufiful Zoll AED 3 expedited to us in time for our mission trip.

The price was right! They have convenient times also. It's a woman owned business. It's clean…read moreand orderly. No complaints. Plenty of parking. I called at the last minute and was able to register for a class the next day!

In January 2024, I woke up in the middle of the night with chest pain and a heart rate too rapid to…read moremeasure. I called 911 and was told paramedics could come and take my vitals. Perinton Ambulance arrived, talked to me at my door for a minute while I was in deep distress, and then told me they could not take my vitals unless I consented to an ambulance ride to the ER. Then, they got back in their rig and waited like an Uber driver while I personally struggled to get dressed to go to the hospital (it was 3am) - completely alone, during a state of terror and pain. But that's not the worst part. 2.5 YEARS later, in late May 2026, I received a call from a debt collector saying I owed an unidentified business $2,300. At first, I thought it was a scam, as my credit is good and my credit app showed zero delinquent accounts or active collection attempts. But after calling them back and providing scary personal information, I learned they were collecting on behalf of Perinton Ambulance! I was shocked - as I had high-quality health insurance coverage then (and now) and my ambulance copay at the time was just $150. In addition, I never received any call, email, or mail from Perinton Ambulance since 2024. The first notice I received was from a debt collector, which could have led to collection or credit consequences - especially since I assumed it was a scam, in this day and age. I had since moved to a new city, and had different health insurance now, so I spent the next hours looking for old paperwork, and waiting on hold with my old insurance company. When they were finally able to confirm my account, they were able to find the claim and told me that their records showed the claim had been processed/paid and that my patient responsibility was only my copay - especially over 2 years later. What transpired next was just as shocking - the helpful health insurance rep offered to call both the debt collector and Perinton Ambulance with me on the line (she was amazing). But the debt collector was of little help - they said I had a right to appeal and would receive an "appeal packet" in the mail within 30 days, wonderful. Then we tried calling Perinton Ambulance. Eventually, a man named Robert called us back, and I am still stunned at what he said. I merged the call with the health insurance rep and Perinton Ambulance, and then I was a witness to an outrageous argument between the health insurance rep and "Robert," who claimed Fidelis had only paid them ~$150 (my copay amount), and when they were unable to attain the charged ~$2,300 from my health insurance - even though they could see that contractually I only had a $150 copay and Fidelis told them in 3 different claim adjustments that I was covered and only owed $150 - they had no choice but to come after the patient for it. The Fidelis rep then proceeded to politely reprimand the ambulance worker, saying that the issue should have been escalated directly with Fidelis through proper channels - not pursued against the patient. A heated back and forth ensued with me just caught in the crossfire, stunned. Fidelis said they would be escalating to their grievance department and filing a complaint with New York State on my behalf. Robert sounded frustrated and said "they'd call me back," and became defensive, and when I interrupted calmly (as I sensed the call was about to end) to ask for his name and phone number, or the name of a manager, the call suddenly disconnected. This whole process took ~3 hours during a work day, looking for old files, and navigating phone calls with old insurance companies, opaque debt collectors, and ambulance companies that don't answer the phone. The medical system in this country is broken, and if you're not killed by a heart problem (terrifying enough as that is), you might feel like you are slowly being killed by the Kafkaesque, dystopian, predatory system we ironically call "healthcare" in this country.

When I was physically assaulted someone else called the ambulance for me. I deliberately refused to…read moreget into their truck because I knew they'd slam me with a bill. What I didn't expect was many months later they would bill me anyway for treatment I never received. They even got my address wrong. It was thanks to my mail lady that I even got their bill. I thought it was scammer impersonating them at first so I called them to confirm. To my surprise they were actually billing me for services I never received. I can say their billing department is simply terrible and bereft of humanity.

The cpr and first aid and emergency oxygen. They are excellent. The instructor was excellent and…read morevery polite and respectful.

The American Red Cross, you may know them for their blood drives however they provide so much more…read morein services. Today I was at this office to attend multiple training's for the disaster services team. As a volunteer we can deploy when called to communities impacted by a variety of disasters. The recent Polar Vortex in WNY, shelters were opened and guess what, people are needed to provide assistance to those seeking shelters. The big hurricane or earthquake in another state or country, guess what volunteers from the Red Cross go down to provide assistance. That is people from your community giving their time to help those most in need. Other services the Red Cross provides include Sound the Alarm. This is a program where you can submit a request, no questions asked. (no income requirements, rental, homeowners, etc) Disaster Services volunteers and other trained volunteers will come to your home and install free smoke alarms into your home. These NEW alarms that follow the NYS guidelines (that change April 2019) have a 10 year lifespan and LED batteries that you are not required to change out every 6 months. Do you want to learn more how to be prepared for a natural disaster? How about a man-made disaster? Concerned on what actions to take with an active shooter? The Disaster Services volunteers offer a program, put together by NYS to teach you and your community how to prepare. Concerned about fire safety and your children? Disaster Services can come into your school or community center to teach the Pillowcase Program, a Disney sponsored, kid-friendly, kid-designed fire safety program and guess what, that isn't everything. You can CPR certification training, lifeguard training, babysitting and even a store so you can buy a fully stocked first act or other supplies you may need in the event of an emergency. So continue to give blood, there is always a need if that is your thing but also remember there are so many other ways you can help your community as well.

I donated a little over a month ago and cannot wait to do it again, my overall experience was…read morerelatively painless and I was very happy to have helped someone in need. Afterwards, the workers of the Red Cross made sure I was comfortable until they were absolutely sure I was healthy enough to leave. The whole thing took about half an hour and was very rewarding.

Besides the often short staffing and long lines, each donation goes well. Compared to the other…read morecenters in the area this is by far the best. It's a stressful job but staff are always pleasant.

check in is sometimes slower than usual, staff is very friendly. The phlebotomist Kristina is the…read moreshit always makes me feel comfortable and very positive. The pay should be more especially for people who's been donating for a while! Overall I'd recommend it to my friends and family!!