Riverhead Ambulance Fundraising Tops $6.4 Million, Aiming to Avoid Taxes

Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps has reached $6.4 million in fundraising for a new headquarters, and leaders say that level of private support gives the project a viable path to completion without burdening local taxpayers. The campaign, bolstered by several large donations from wealthy supporters, is now seeking further contributions from the wider community through a mailer sent to all residents and via the ambulance company’s website and secure online portal.

“Community support has been amazing,” RVAC President Garrett Lake said. “If the amount we need to borrow to cover the cost is small enough, we can cover it with ambulance billing revenues and regular annual donations,” he said. “That’s a great feeling,” Lake said, “because then the new facility won’t be a burden on our taxpayers.”

RVAC began limited ambulance billing in 2017 for MVA transports and expanded billing to all calls in 2023, creating a steady stream of insurance revenues that leaders say could cover modest borrowing tied to the project. The Riverhead Ambulance District, governed by the Town Board, owns the current headquarters on Osborn Avenue and relies on property tax revenues to pay for repairs and maintenance and to provide and service emergency vehicles.

The need for a larger facility is driven by long-term population growth, an aging demographic, commercial development and tourism that have pushed demand for emergency services dramatically higher. RVAC’s annual call volume rose from about 1,200 calls in 1989 to nearly 6,000 in 2025, an increase of more than 300 percent. The existing headquarters, built in 1988-89, is cramped and no longer adequate to house the ambulances, equipment and staff required to serve the district.

The planned 16,600-square-foot headquarters will be built on the same site and is designed to support RVAC’s 150 professionals, of whom 110 are volunteers. The facility will include six vehicle bays deep enough to hold two ambulances each, and a three-story building for response activities, secure medicine and equipment storage, a decontamination room, training and meeting rooms, bunk rooms, a standby area where members on duty can read or watch TV, and a larger kitchen and dining area.

For Riverhead residents, the project promises faster, better-equipped emergency response without a guaranteed rise in local property taxes if fundraising goals are met. The ambulance corps’ appeal for donations highlights the community role in maintaining and expanding emergency medical services as the town grows. Residents who wish to contribute can follow the campaign information in the mailer or visit the ambulance company’s website to donate through the secure online portal.