FDNY Secures 250 Ambulances, 500 EMTs to Support COVID-19 Response

Staten Island Advance, N.Y.

A partnership between FEMA and New York City is aiming to bring aid to an overburdened FDNY EMS system that has received an “unprecedented” influx of calls due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mayor Bill de Blasio, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell and FEMA Region II Administrator Tom Van Essen announced the partnership, which will bring more than 250 ambulances and approximately 500 more EMTs to the city.

“When I heard that this was actually a real thing, that people would come from around the country and help us out with ambulances, I almost didn’t believe it—but, seeing is believing,” said Nigro.

“All I can say is thank you so much for the people of the city of New York,” said Nigro, at Fort Totten in Queens—where EMTs from across the U.S. were gathered on Tuesday.

The announcement comes only days after Nigro said the EMS system is regularly getting over 6,000 911 calls a day, which is an increase of over 50% compared to an average day, the Advance/SiLive.com previously reported.

“The last five days have been the five busiest days for the EMS in their entire history,” Nigro said at a press conference alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday.

The additional fully-staffed ambulances will increase the city’s capacity for medical transport in between medical sites and also assist the FDNY with the significant increase in call volume, the FDNY wrote on Instagram.

Councilman Joe Borelli, who was at the Fort Totten site where EMTs were being put into the FDNY’s EMS system, said ambulances “from just about every state in the United States” arrived via the partnership to help New York City.

“New Yorkers should not be alarmed if they see ambulances they don’t recognize," Borelli said, and if you see somebody serving from out of state, make sure you at least buy them a sandwich or recommend one of our great restaurants … and of course, don’t forget to say, ‘thank you.’”