New EMS chief named in wake of blizzard | Video | 7online.com
New EMS chief named in wake of blizzard | Video | 7online.com
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/New-EMS-Chief-Named-One-Week-After-Blizzard-112977039.html
Click on the links below to hear the testimony of President Vincent Variale and President Patrick Bahnken to the City Council regarding the 2010 Blizzard
President Vincent Variale testimony to the City Council
President Patrick Bahnken testimony to the City Council
January 10, 2011
The Testimony of Vincent Variale before the New York City Council Joint Committee Oversight Hearing on the Blizzard of December 2010.
Good Afternoon, my name is Vincent Variale I am the President of the Uniformed EMS Officers Union, representing 450 EMS Captains and Lieutenants of the New York City Fire Department. I thank you for this opportunity to testify today.
The blizzard on December 26, 2010 highlighted the logistical failures that exist within the EMS Command. Although the officers of the EMS Command have learned to operate under these conditions, the failure to declare a citywide emergency compromised our ability to function normally.
The failure to clear the streets of unnecessary vehicles prevented the streets from being plowed. While this is perhaps the greatest failure it is not the only failure.
Some of the problems encountered by my members include;
Span of Control
Tow straps or cables
Fuel supplies
Fuel containers
Span of Control: According to the FDNY Incident Command System (ICS) and the Citywide Incident Management System (CIMS), safety and sound management practices dictate that a ratio of seven individuals to one supervisor should be maintained for a span of control to exist. Maintaining an effective span of control is important to ensure safety, coordination and support to the members operating in the field.
The current ratio in EMS is one supervisor to twenty individuals. In many cases that ratio expands to one supervisor to forty individuals. If EMS operated with the appropriate span of control it would enable EMS officers to provide an effective amount of support. The result would mean more people receiving emergency medical care and more ambulances would get to the hospital.
Logistics: Tow straps or cables should be issued to all stations so supervisors may assist ambulances stuck in the snow. During the blizzard, some EMS officers took intiative and purchased or used there own tow straps. These straps were used to pull ambulances free from the snow.
Fuel: Some stations didn’t receive fuel orders that were submitted prior to the storm, leaving them without fuel. This required ambulances to rely on alternative fuel sites. Some ambulances got stuck in the snow for long periods of time and began to run out of fuel.
Logistics Coordinator: A Deputy Chief in every EMS Division should be assigned as the logistics point person. They would report directly to the Fire Department Operations Center (FDOC) prior to a storm. The Deputy Chief would notify FDOC which stations in their Division are in need of fuel and supplies and ensure they receive them.
In conclusion, we are saddened by any lives that were lost during the storm. If not for the commitment and dedication of the members in the EMS Command many more lives may have been lost.
I look forward to the implementation of these recommendations, so tragedies like these are not repeated in the future.
Thank you.