According to Dan Karlin, CAVA's chief medical officer, most of their calls come from the campus security. As a remedy, it tries to recruit more freshmen. Despite the staff shortage, however, the volunteers at CAVA has gained a national recognition for their work. Akesson has been a member of CAVA since her freshman year. C. Rae Jung Driving an ambulance is quite different from driving a passenger car.
Ambulances have many blind spots and have to carry patients.
So CAVA stresses safety before speed. The first step for trainees is to pass a defensive driving course. After the course, trainees go through an observation period. With a crew chief riding in the passenger seat, they drive around Columbia University campus and to nearby hospitals. Trainees have to learn all the one-way streets and the best routes to each hospital.