One club deserving of special mention is the Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CVA). Since it’s founding in 1990, the CVA has provided first aid and emergency medical care to the Zamorano community. Although a doctor is always on call at Zamorano, the CVA has the equipment and training to respond to a wide variety of emergencies. Corps volunteers learn human anatomy and physiology, how to assess a patient and monitor vital signs, how to treat a variety of injuries and illnesses — including breaks, cuts, and burns — and how to provide artificial respiration and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
CVA members also learn how to perform emergency rescues, including in the mountains (requiring ropes and rappelling) and in the water. All training is provided by qualified personnel, including four faculty members who are part of the CVA. CVA volunteers train intensively, committing several evenings and weekend days throughout the year to their regular preparedness exercises. The fourteen freshman and 20 upper-level students in the CVA this past year showed through their persistence and commitment exactly the qualities most admired in Zamorano students.
