Glen Cove EMS Calls Less In 2020, ‘Severity’ Was ‘More Critical’

GLEN COVE, NY — The City of Glen Cove’s Emergency Medical Services saw a decrease in call volume in 2020 as compared with 2019, but the “severity of the calls was more critical,” reflected EMS Supervisor Christopher Demetropolis on Tuesday during a celebration of the department’s first EMS Week in two years due to COVID-19.

The year 2020 was an “anomaly in terms of volume,” according to Demetropolis, a single provider advanced emergency medical technician, who joined the department in 2006. “We had expected higher increases due to the pandemic-related risks to immunocompromised patients, but that was not the outcome. Protocols were put in place by [the] New York State Department of Health regarding the transport of positive patients to prevent the surge of patients in the hospital.”

In 2020, Glen Cove EMS responded to 2,652 calls, and in 2019, that number was 2,693, but in 2020, the agency only saw only 2,509 calls, according to a spokeswoman for the city. Of the 2,509 calls that the agency responded to in 2020, 169 or 6.6% were associated with COVID-19, and so far in 2021, that number is 130 or 12.3%, she said.

A celebration of EMS Week was not held last year because of the pandemic, and officials used this one to highlight how procedures have changed for EMS.

“Patient care has changed as well, going into patients’ homes and the thought process that is involved with that,” said EMS Chief Robert Picoli. “EMS has to take more precautions; for example, taking a patient’s temperature is now one of the first things we have to do. All of our EMTs now wear masks, even while the mask mandate for the public is being lifted, we will continue to do so.”

Something else that COVID-19 has taught EMS is that with all the devastation and loss witnessed by the department’s volunteers and paid employees is that they need to start to taking better care of themselves, according to Picoli.

“Being able to reflect on ourselves to make sure that we are able to give the best critical care necessary remains our number one priority,” he said.

“Our Department was prepared in the early stages of the pandemic, and remains committed for any possible reoccurrence increase,” said Demetropolis.

Glen Cove’s EMS Department was expanded with four additional full-time advanced EMT providers, as well as 10 part-time basic EMT employees to work alongside the full-time advanced EMT employees in 2010, according to city officials. There are now 26 part-time employees, consisting of both advanced and basic EMTs, and the department has repositioned itself to handle more calls throughout the day so that more providers are available to the residents’ medical needs, city officials said.

EMS operations fall under Picoli, who works alongside Demetropolis and a department of about 30 paid employees and roughly 65 volunteers ranging from chauffeurs with CPR and first aid certifications, to basic, advanced, and critical care EMTs, all the way up to paramedics, according to city officials. Part-time volunteers, who are known as members, have to put in about 15 hours a month, and full-time members are required to participate 30 hours a month, city officials said.

Some EMS members have dual membership, which allows Glen Cove EMS to work seamlessly throughout the three departments, including fire, police, and emergency services.

“Residents here are very fortunate to have such a tight-knit community in Glen Cove,” Demetropolis said.

Mayor Timothy Tenke, who stopped by the department to show his appreciation, said he wanted to show his gratitude to our EMS Department for their continued service and dedication to the residents of our community,” Tenke said. “During the past year, they have faced unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. As always they faced those challenges with professionalism, compassion, and selflessness. They truly represent the best in all of us.

Noting how there wasn’t an EMS week last year because of the pandemic, Picoli said, “Now that some of the restrictions have eased up, we are honored to have the Mayor, council members, and residents show appreciation for our Department.”

Glen Cove EMS’s Instagram page, @glencoveems, is displaying EMS member profile photos with biographies in honor or National EMS Week.