AGENCY TESTIMONY
Changes in ambulance unit deployment during and after COVID-19
0:19:56
·
63 sec
Chief Fields explains how the FDNY adjusted ambulance deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent return to pre-pandemic levels. This shift has impacted response times.
- During peak COVID, FDNY increased ambulance tours to about 520 units per day
- Additional units came from FDNY, mutual aid, and private sector partners
- Post-COVID, the number of units has returned to pre-pandemic levels of about 460 per day
- Reduction in units, combined with increased call volume, has created a larger workload for each unit
Michael Fields
0:19:56
In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the fire department surge, the number of ambulance to us, in addition to bringing them mutual aid units from outside the city during the busiest time periods We ran more FDNY tours, and we asked our hospital partners in the private sector to contribute more tours to the 911 system.
0:20:16
Together, those efforts meant that we had more units than ever on the streets of New York.
0:20:22
At the height of the pandemic, we were running approximately 520 units.
0:20:26
Naturally, having more units in service meant that we were able to respond faster.
0:20:32
This was especially true to the number of COVID calls dropped off, and we could can you run-in an elevated number of units?
0:20:40
Over time though, we had to return to pre pandemic levels of ambulance to us.
0:20:45
Post COVID, we are back to approximately 460 units per day.
0:20:50
Which is the level that that they were at prior to the pandemic.
0:20:54
As the number of calls increases, this creates a larger workload for each unit.
