Nassau County Executive Laura Curran gave a heartfelt sendoff to 15 ambulances that were deployed to assist with the County’s COVID-19 response when they stopped by her press briefing on Thursday, May 7. The ambulances and medics onboard were greeted with a hero’s welcome in recognition of all the help they have given to the County over the past month. The ambulances come from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Ambulance Contract (NAC). These ambulances have provided much needed relief to Nassau’s first responders working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and have helped the County maintain timely response to calls for aid, even with call volume skyrocketing.
“I am so grateful for the help we got from the 15 ambulances deployed by FEMA to assist our County with our emergency response. Nassau County has been hit hard by this pandemic and our first responders on the frontlines bravely worked in a high stress and emotionally taxing environment. These ambulances and staff have been a lifeline for our police medics, providing much needed assistance during the peak of this pandemic,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
“The assignment of FEMA ambulances and personnel was crucial and essential over the past month as they greatly assisted both the Nassau County Police and the local Fire Departments with the abundance of calls for service. The multi-agency cooperation was extraordinary as all first responders worked together to provide exceptional care to so many individuals suffering from COVID-19 who needed medical evaluation and/or transportation to our hospitals. The dedication and efficiency of all of the first responders and their agencies is greatly appreciated,” said Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder.
“The out-of-town ambulances that deployed here were much needed emergency assistance from the State. These ambulance crews arrived within days of what would be the peak of our 911 call volume and achieved the objective of decompressing our EMS system during this unprecedented public health emergency. Our County’s paramedics and EMTs had become fatigued and very stressed by the effect that the constant pace and nature of the work that taking care of record-high numbers of critically ill viral patients had on us. We are thankful for the assistance the Federal ambulance contractors provided,” said Chris Airey, Commanding Officer Police Emergency Ambulance Bureau
“The emergency services share a bond of service to our community. We are humbled to see that this bond transcends geography and distance and remain eternally grateful for the assistance provided to us during this unprecedented time of need. Providers from all over the Country, once again; heard our plea for help and came to our rescue. “Thank you” doesn’t seem strong enough! You are our heroes,” said Don Hudson, Nassau County EMS Coordinator.
The ambulances provided by FEMA have been a crucial supplement to Nassau County’s emergency response resources. The 15 ambulances deployed are part of the over 300 ambulances sent to the New York Metropolitan area by New York State Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services through FEMA’s NAC program. In Nassau County, 10 ambulances arrived on April 5 with another 5 arriving about a week later. The ambulances were integrated into the County’s 911 system to assist with responding to calls. Over the three weeks they have responded to over 1,700 assignments.
Each ambulance deployed to Nassau County was staffed with a paramedic and an EMT. The ambulances were deployed from cities in Upstate New York as well as Ohio, Texas, Indiana and other states. Their assistance was secured by the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and the State Office of Emergency Management.
