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| Volunteer Emergency Responders Face a Dilemma: Save Lives or Stay Safe | Volunteer Emergency Responders Face a Dilemma: Save Lives or Stay Safe |
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| In Teaneck, N.J., half of the town’s volunteer ambulance corps is out sick, in quarantine or staying home to avoid potential exposure to the coronavirus. The remaining 25 are responding to double the usual number of daily calls, racing from one high fever or respiratory distress emergency to the next. | In Teaneck, N.J., half of the town’s volunteer ambulance corps is out sick, in quarantine or staying home to avoid potential exposure to the coronavirus. The remaining 25 are responding to double the usual number of daily calls, racing from one high fever or respiratory distress emergency to the next. |
| In Rockville, a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., hit hard by the virus, more than 10 percent of the 160-member volunteer ambulance force has stopped taking shifts, either because they tested positive for the virus or because underlying health conditions have forced them indoors. | In Rockville, a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., hit hard by the virus, more than 10 percent of the 160-member volunteer ambulance force has stopped taking shifts, either because they tested positive for the virus or because underlying health conditions have forced them indoors. |
| And in a rural Iowa county with one of that state’s highest infection rates, the Dysart Ambulance Service has just 22 volunteers who share two ambulances, cover 150 square miles and, in the first two weeks of April, responded to far more calls than in all of March. | And in a rural Iowa county with one of that state’s highest infection rates, the Dysart Ambulance Service has just 22 volunteers who share two ambulances, cover 150 square miles and, in the first two weeks of April, responded to far more calls than in all of March. |
| As the virus has continued its spread into suburbs and rural towns, overwhelming hospitals and emergency medical workers, it also has taken a toll on scores of volunteer emergency response units, many of which are the sole responders in critical and urgent situations. | As the virus has continued its spread into suburbs and rural towns, overwhelming hospitals and emergency medical workers, it also has taken a toll on scores of volunteer emergency response units, many of which are the sole responders in critical and urgent situations. |
| “Even if the worst-case scenarios from Covid-19 don’t play out, you’re going to have a lot of departments that are in a really difficult spot,” said David Finger, chief of legislative and regulatory affairs for the National Volunteer Fire Council, which represents firefighters, Emergency Medical Services personnel and emergency responders. | “Even if the worst-case scenarios from Covid-19 don’t play out, you’re going to have a lot of departments that are in a really difficult spot,” said David Finger, chief of legislative and regulatory affairs for the National Volunteer Fire Council, which represents firefighters, Emergency Medical Services personnel and emergency responders. |
| More than 80 percent of the nation’s 30,000 fire departments are all or mostly volunteer, responsible for providing emergency care to about one-third of the country’s population. And while more than 60 percent of the fire departments across the nation provide basic or advanced life support, those in smaller, rural communities — areas already dangerously short on health care and often dependent on part-time volunteers to transport patients to hospitals — are less likely to offer emergency medical services. | More than 80 percent of the nation’s 30,000 fire departments are all or mostly volunteer, responsible for providing emergency care to about one-third of the country’s population. And while more than 60 percent of the fire departments across the nation provide basic or advanced life support, those in smaller, rural communities — areas already dangerously short on health care and often dependent on part-time volunteers to transport patients to hospitals — are less likely to offer emergency medical services. |
| Many squads said in interviews this month that they were overwhelmed by the challenges. As they struggle to retain members, volunteer emergency response departments have also been hobbled by the cancellation of fund-raising drives that they rely on to keep the ambulances running and the station house lights on. | Many squads said in interviews this month that they were overwhelmed by the challenges. As they struggle to retain members, volunteer emergency response departments have also been hobbled by the cancellation of fund-raising drives that they rely on to keep the ambulances running and the station house lights on. |
| The financial shortfall is also complicating efforts to buy the gear needed to protect members from infection, they said. With training certification programs and recruitment drives also halted, volunteer corps are now worried about their ability to function long after the infection curve has flattened. | The financial shortfall is also complicating efforts to buy the gear needed to protect members from infection, they said. With training certification programs and recruitment drives also halted, volunteer corps are now worried about their ability to function long after the infection curve has flattened. |
| “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jules Scadden, the director of emergency medical services in Dysart, Iowa, a farming community in Tama County, where an outbreak at a nursing home led to more than 230 positive cases and seven deaths. | “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jules Scadden, the director of emergency medical services in Dysart, Iowa, a farming community in Tama County, where an outbreak at a nursing home led to more than 230 positive cases and seven deaths. |
| “My folks are scared,” she added. “Your risks are so high in the back of the ambulance, and we have a minimum 30-minute transport time so we know we’re back there with the virus.” | “My folks are scared,” she added. “Your risks are so high in the back of the ambulance, and we have a minimum 30-minute transport time so we know we’re back there with the virus.” |
| Some volunteers in Tama County have stopped taking calls because they are considered high risk or because they were told they would lose their day jobs if they continued riding in the ambulances, officials said. | Some volunteers in Tama County have stopped taking calls because they are considered high risk or because they were told they would lose their day jobs if they continued riding in the ambulances, officials said. |
| But Jackie Obrosk, a nursing home dietitian, said she has no plans to end her volunteer ambulance shifts with the Dysart Ambulance Service. “We’re our neighbors’ only line of defense between home and hospital,” she said. | But Jackie Obrosk, a nursing home dietitian, said she has no plans to end her volunteer ambulance shifts with the Dysart Ambulance Service. “We’re our neighbors’ only line of defense between home and hospital,” she said. |
| The volunteers are taking extra precautions — wearing masks and homemade face shields, and putting masks on patients, too. “You just pray that we’re doing enough,” she said. | The volunteers are taking extra precautions — wearing masks and homemade face shields, and putting masks on patients, too. “You just pray that we’re doing enough,” she said. |
| Ms. Scadden said she also now required members to take their temperature before entering an ambulance. | Ms. Scadden said she also now required members to take their temperature before entering an ambulance. |
| In Maryland, the pandemic is straining an already overtaxed volunteer emergency response system. Before the virus, the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad in Montgomery County was among the nation’s busiest ambulances services, said Gamunu Wijetunge, the squad president. | In Maryland, the pandemic is straining an already overtaxed volunteer emergency response system. Before the virus, the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad in Montgomery County was among the nation’s busiest ambulances services, said Gamunu Wijetunge, the squad president. |
| On nights and weekends, all-volunteer crews of nine handle emergency calls. They pull 12- to 18-hour shifts, and many of them are off-duty firefighters and medical professionals. | On nights and weekends, all-volunteer crews of nine handle emergency calls. They pull 12- to 18-hour shifts, and many of them are off-duty firefighters and medical professionals. |
| As cases continue to climb in Montgomery County — there were more than 3,480 cases and 152 deaths as of Saturday, the second-highest count in the state — the squad has tried increasing its dwindling ranks of 100 or so volunteers, Mr. Wijetunge said, while also barring dozens of recruits who have not completed E.M.T. training. | As cases continue to climb in Montgomery County — there were more than 3,480 cases and 152 deaths as of Saturday, the second-highest count in the state — the squad has tried increasing its dwindling ranks of 100 or so volunteers, Mr. Wijetunge said, while also barring dozens of recruits who have not completed E.M.T. training. |
| But he said the squad’s efforts to meet minimum staffing requirements have been hindered by local competition: a children’s hospital and a medical school that have told employees they cannot volunteer for shifts during the pandemic. | But he said the squad’s efforts to meet minimum staffing requirements have been hindered by local competition: a children’s hospital and a medical school that have told employees they cannot volunteer for shifts during the pandemic. |
| Maryland’s governor announced this month that people who had worked as E.M.T.s or paramedics in the past decade would be granted provisional licenses, a welcome relief for Eric Bernard, president of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. | Maryland’s governor announced this month that people who had worked as E.M.T.s or paramedics in the past decade would be granted provisional licenses, a welcome relief for Eric Bernard, president of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department. |
| More than 10 percent of the 160 volunteers have stopped taking shifts, he said. Some have exhibited coronavirus symptoms, but others are worried their underlying medical conditions could put them at greater risk. | More than 10 percent of the 160 volunteers have stopped taking shifts, he said. Some have exhibited coronavirus symptoms, but others are worried their underlying medical conditions could put them at greater risk. |
| Updated August 12, 2020 | |
| The ranks have also been diminished by the loss of firefighters too busy with their day jobs and medical professionals forbidden from volunteering by their employers. Mr. Bernard fears those numbers will grow. “We’re nowhere near toward the end of this,” he said. | The ranks have also been diminished by the loss of firefighters too busy with their day jobs and medical professionals forbidden from volunteering by their employers. Mr. Bernard fears those numbers will grow. “We’re nowhere near toward the end of this,” he said. |
| To reduce the risks of contamination, the department disinfects the station house and its vehicles every four days. But maintaining social distancing is near impossible. “When you have 19 people on a shift in the firehouse,” he said, “you can’t be six feet away from each other.” | To reduce the risks of contamination, the department disinfects the station house and its vehicles every four days. But maintaining social distancing is near impossible. “When you have 19 people on a shift in the firehouse,” he said, “you can’t be six feet away from each other.” |
| After weeks of searching, Mr. Bernard found nearby hotels to house members who needed to be quarantined or who wanted to avoid potentially exposing their families. | After weeks of searching, Mr. Bernard found nearby hotels to house members who needed to be quarantined or who wanted to avoid potentially exposing their families. |
| With recruitment drives and training halted, Mr. Bernard said he was also anxious about the squad’s long-term viability. Like most volunteer departments, Rockville faces a high turnover and his recruits can no longer take classes or ride emergency vehicles required for certification. “When you have a temporary pause like this, how do you recover?” he asked. | With recruitment drives and training halted, Mr. Bernard said he was also anxious about the squad’s long-term viability. Like most volunteer departments, Rockville faces a high turnover and his recruits can no longer take classes or ride emergency vehicles required for certification. “When you have a temporary pause like this, how do you recover?” he asked. |
| Jacob Finkelstein, the captain of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, barely has time to dwell on the tragedies unfolding in his community, let alone worry about recruitment. Like so many of his squad members these days, he is usually in one of the corps’ five ambulances, sirens screaming as they careen down the empty suburban streets to homes hit by the virus. | Jacob Finkelstein, the captain of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, barely has time to dwell on the tragedies unfolding in his community, let alone worry about recruitment. Like so many of his squad members these days, he is usually in one of the corps’ five ambulances, sirens screaming as they careen down the empty suburban streets to homes hit by the virus. |
| “It’s all over town,” said Mr. Finkelstein, 24, during a rare moment of calm. | “It’s all over town,” said Mr. Finkelstein, 24, during a rare moment of calm. |
| A proudly diverse community of about 40,000, Teaneck had recorded 932 cases of the coronavirus and 71 deaths as of last week, a higher rate per capita than New York City five miles to the east. The task of tending to the sick has fallen to the ambulance corps — 120 unpaid volunteers who include Broadway stagehands and high school students — which occupies a beige brick building by the freight train tracks that slice through town. | A proudly diverse community of about 40,000, Teaneck had recorded 932 cases of the coronavirus and 71 deaths as of last week, a higher rate per capita than New York City five miles to the east. The task of tending to the sick has fallen to the ambulance corps — 120 unpaid volunteers who include Broadway stagehands and high school students — which occupies a beige brick building by the freight train tracks that slice through town. |
| The dispatch phone rings constantly, as many as 28 calls a day, compared with the usual dozen or so, and the corps responds to every medical emergency, sometimes crossing into nearby towns in Bergen County, where private ambulance squads are overwhelmed. | The dispatch phone rings constantly, as many as 28 calls a day, compared with the usual dozen or so, and the corps responds to every medical emergency, sometimes crossing into nearby towns in Bergen County, where private ambulance squads are overwhelmed. |
| Volunteers handle more than a quarter of the state’s basic life support calls, but some squads are refusing to respond to virus-related emergencies or have shut down entirely during the pandemic, said Barbara Platt, president of the E.M.S. Council of New Jersey. | Volunteers handle more than a quarter of the state’s basic life support calls, but some squads are refusing to respond to virus-related emergencies or have shut down entirely during the pandemic, said Barbara Platt, president of the E.M.S. Council of New Jersey. |
| A dozen of Teaneck’s ambulance corps volunteers have had virus symptoms, and at least five have tested positive. Some have infected family members, including a volunteer who was hospitalized for more than a week. Around 30 percent are not responding to calls because they or their loved ones have underlying health conditions. One lost his father to the virus. | A dozen of Teaneck’s ambulance corps volunteers have had virus symptoms, and at least five have tested positive. Some have infected family members, including a volunteer who was hospitalized for more than a week. Around 30 percent are not responding to calls because they or their loved ones have underlying health conditions. One lost his father to the virus. |
| The emergencies are a blur: a middle-aged man with shortness of breath; an older woman with virus symptoms who was dead by the time the ambulance arrived; a father, in respiratory distress, whose distraught sons wanted to help him walk out to the ambulance but who were too afraid of getting sick. | The emergencies are a blur: a middle-aged man with shortness of breath; an older woman with virus symptoms who was dead by the time the ambulance arrived; a father, in respiratory distress, whose distraught sons wanted to help him walk out to the ambulance but who were too afraid of getting sick. |
| Charles Levin, a 25-year-old member of the volunteer corps, understands that fear better than most. A month ago, after transporting a dozen patients with coronavirus symptoms, he developed a fever and breathing difficulties. He had planned to move out of his parents’ house. Instead, he self-quarantined in the basement, but they got sick, too. | Charles Levin, a 25-year-old member of the volunteer corps, understands that fear better than most. A month ago, after transporting a dozen patients with coronavirus symptoms, he developed a fever and breathing difficulties. He had planned to move out of his parents’ house. Instead, he self-quarantined in the basement, but they got sick, too. |
| Now that they have all recovered, Mr. Levin is back on ambulance shifts, eager to aid his town in its darkest hour. | Now that they have all recovered, Mr. Levin is back on ambulance shifts, eager to aid his town in its darkest hour. |
| “This is our community, and we need to help,” he said. | “This is our community, and we need to help,” he said. |