Suffolk to fold volunteer EMS services into county fire agency in bid for 'more efficient and effective' communication

Suffolk County’s Emergency Medical Services Division will be folded into another department next year, a change officials say allows for more training opportunities and shared resources.

The Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday approved a bill that transfers the EMS division, which oversees all the county’s emergency medical technicians, to the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES). The EMS division currently operates as a division of the Department of Health Services.

The change allows for a "more efficient and effective" emergency response among the 26 ambulance companies in Suffolk County, according to the legislation, which amends the EMS division's county charter to transfer all of the department’s emergency responders to FRES.

"There’s going to be a world-class unified command system response to incidents in this county," said Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue), a co-sponsor of the bill along with Legis. Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park).

Officials from both departments say restructuring enhances greater response capabilities, particularly to large-scale incidents like major brush fires or a mass casualty incident, and improves grant funding opportunities and patient care.

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said the change "will streamline services to ensure better communication, provide the highest quality training to our first responders, and enable us to strengthen our support to Suffolk County’s fire departments and EMS agencies to protect our communities better."

The legislature’s Fire, Rescue & Emergency Medical Services & Preparedness Committee approved the bill at its Dec. 10 meeting. The full, 18-member legislature approved the bill Tuesday in a 16-0 vote, with two members absent.

Thorne said the change takes effect Jan. 1 for all companies currently in Suffolk County.

FRES already includes the Fire Marshal's Office, Fire Rescue Communications Center and the Office of Emergency Management.

Gerard Turza Jr., chairman of the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Commission, said during a Nov. 26 public hearing that the commission represents 15 fire and EMS organizations in Suffolk and 109 fire departments. He said the commission was "strongly in support" of the merger, adding such a move provides "the staffing and resources they need to grow."

Turza said there are more than 11,000 volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel in the county protecting over 1.5 million people.

Daniel Keegan, deputy chief of operations for the Emergency Medical Services Division, said during the public hearing the discussion of a merger has been "tossed around for many years."

He said the EMS division already works on a near daily basis with members of FRES and "embraces the opportunity to work under Suffolk County FRES."

John Manzi, chairman of the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO), which helps coordinate medical response in the county, said during the public hearing the merger has several benefits such as streamlining communication.

Thorne said the merger won’t change the dispatch or response procedures, which are based out of the Suffolk County Fire Rescue Communications Center in Yaphank.

He said most EMS personnel have reached their plateau in training and the merger opens "a whole realm of training that was never accessible to them."

The legislation also clarifies procedures for potential privatization initiatives for emergency medical services. Thorne said there are private ambulances throughout the county, including hospital-based services. For example, they often respond to nursing homes, he said, easing the strain on the 911 system.

CORRECTION: The Suffolk County EMS companies will be folded into the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES) agency. An earlier version of this story incorrectly described FRES.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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