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Port Jefferson EMS

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Representatives from Port Jefferson fire department and EMS organizations speak before the civic. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Samantha Rutt

The Port Jefferson Civic Association hosted a meeting on Feb. 12 dedicated to first responders. 

“Our first responders have been there for us many a time, we have invited them here to help our residents learn what it takes to run such operations as well as learn what unique challenges they face,” civic association President Ana Hozyainova said.

The Port Jefferson Fire Department and EMS organizations have long been pillars of the Port Jefferson community, providing crucial emergency services to residents in times of need. However, recent challenges have highlighted the strain on these vital institutions, ranging from outdated facilities to a shortage of funding and volunteers.

One of the primary issues facing the Port Jefferson Fire Department and EMS is the state of their facilities. Many of the buildings housing these organizations are small and outdated, failing to meet the needs of modern emergency response. These facilities lack adequate space for equipment storage, training facilities and administrative offices, hindering the effectiveness of operations.

The most prominent issue facing the fire department is flooding. The location of the historic building is nestled in one of the lowest points of the town’s landscape allowing it to be highly susceptible to excess water. Third assistant fire chief, Christian Neubert, explained past complications the department faced during severe storms and excess rain. 

“One of the big problems we have is the firehouse floods,” Neubert said. “So, getting the firefighters to the fire department can be complicated. We have a flood protocol that we put in place after the 2019 flood, that when there is an alarm, certain apparatuses are allocated to certain sides of Maple Place. Some go up the hill and some go down toward the village.”

The issue of flooding exacerbates the challenges already faced. Flooding not only poses a threat to the safety of personnel but also endangers critical equipment and resources essential for emergency response efforts.

“That’s one of our starting points for mitigating those emergencies,” Neubert added. “There’s a lot of logistical complications when we deal with those types of floods.”

Like the fire department, the EMS organization is also experiencing a facility crisis. The organization runs an EMS training program with Stony Brook University students.

“We run an EMS training program, the EMS Academy, out of our facility,” Mike Presta, deputy director from Port Jefferson EMS explained. “We make our pre-health student EMTs and they go on to serve the community for the four or five or six years that they’re working toward becoming a health professional.”

Presta continued explaining the program in greater detail, “Almost five years ago, we actually developed a program where they live in the building. We have 15 college kids that live there, they get free room and board.” 

Though the efforts and intention of the EMS organization are pure, they face challenges running their organization alongside the student training program. Presta explained that due to the need for living quarters, the organization has set up trailers in the rear of the property to best suit the other operations of the organization. 

In addition to facility woes, the Port Jefferson Fire Department and EMS are grappling with a significant shortage of volunteers. Traditionally volunteer-based, these organizations rely on community members willing to dedicate their time and expertise to serve their neighbors. However, in recent years, recruitment efforts have struggled to attract new volunteers.

“We don’t get a lot of local community volunteers. We don’t really have many from the village, we don’t have any from Belle Terre, we don’t have any from Mount Sinai. So, our organization has grown to really rely on our Stony Brook University students,” Presta said.

Funding is also an issue facing these organizations as they rely heavily on property tax levies within the district and little elsewhere.

“Unlike some of our neighboring districts and partners, we don’t have as large a commercial tax base means that we don’t get to pull from a Walmart or a BJ’s or Target or Home Depot or a Lowe’s, we don’t have those large places,” Neubert said. “So, we have to be very mindful with our spending.”

Neubert continued explaining some of the ways the department has made efforts to save: “Recently, the fire district outsourced this faction of services to the supported firemen. So, our dispatchers now are Setauket dispatchers. That was a huge savings for the fire district, because they no longer had to pay full-time dispatchers out of the firehouse. And the reason that had happened was because insurance premiums have gone significantly up because of the recent floods.” 

In the face of these challenges, the dedication and commitment of the members of the Port Jefferson Fire Department and EMS remain unwavering. Despite the obstacles they face, these individuals continue to serve our community, ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents. As a community, it is incumbent upon us to support and strengthen these essential organizations as they work tirelessly to keep Port Jefferson safe.

The meeting also served as the first opportunity to register interest in running for officer positions for the civic association. Offices open for elections are, president, vice president, treasurer, recording secretary and corresponding secretary. Only members in good standing are eligible to run and the deadline to submit interest is March 11, also the date of the next association meeting. 

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Above, members of Port Jefferson Fire Department and the local EMS after their technical rescue training. Photo from Port Jefferson EMS
By Julianne Mosher

It takes a village – literally.

Located on opposite sides of Port Jefferson, the Port Jefferson Fire Department and Port Jefferson EMS recently converged outside the Village Center at Harborfront Park for a training exercise that was quite the spectacle. 

A dozen volunteers from both agencies staged a scenario Sunday, Oct. 9, in which a person “fell” over the ledge of a nearly 40-foot wall, located on East Broadway, and said the “patient” could only be accessible by lowering a rescuer down to get them.

Christian Neubert, third assistant chief of the PJFD, noted a real-life example using this technique could be if someone were to fall into an open construction area with a finished basement but no stairs. 

So, to train for an instance like this, the two groups strapped up individual rescuers from both the fire department and EMS, and lowered them down using a rope to the parking lot below to assess, package and retrieve the patient. 

A look at the volunteers bringing their ‘patient’ to safety during the recent drill by Port Jefferson Fire Department and Port Jeff EMS. Photo from PJFD

Back above, other volunteers created a five-to-one haul system to pull both the patient and rescuer back to safety.

These specific agencies coordinate frequently on different types of calls, as many fire departments and EMS often do. But Michael Presta, deputy chief of the Port Jefferson EMS, said that the partnership between Port Jeff’s fire department and the separate EMS — which supports not only the village, but provides services to Belle Terre, Mount Sinai and Miller Place — has been ongoing for quite a few years, and this technical rescue training they practiced on Sunday is an indicator on how these two teams can work together. 

“There’s a lot of fire departments that provide technical rescue services in a confined space — different kinds of specialty disciplines — but there’s not a lot of patient care centered activity that goes on in a lot of these places,” Presta said. “We had a great conversation a few years ago and said, ‘Hey, it’d be really great to work together jointly with both departments and work on getting paramedic-level care down to these patients.’”

Presta said that not every scenario is the same when it comes to an emergency. People might be trapped somewhere for an extended period of time or have a complicated injury that requires care, pain management, airway management or bleeding control in a technical rescue environment.

“We thought, ‘What better way than to get the paramedics, train them in technical rescue and get them down to those patients?’” he said.

Neubert added this type of training is not easy. “There’s a lot of knowledge and skill that has to go into it, and you need to have the type of student that is ready to learn,” he said. “It’s different than basic firefighting skills.”

And Sunday’s training created an atmosphere allowing both firefighters and paramedics to work together as a team.

“It doesn’t matter what organization you were volunteering from,” Neubert said. “When we started that drill the other day, we gave the scenario, they found the job that needed to get done and they just did it.”

And once that patient is secured by whichever volunteer is first on scene, paramedics begin to administer the care that someone would find in the hospital emergency room right on the spot. 

Technical service rescues might seem niche and relatively rare, but Presta said that one could really never know.

“In this small little community here, we have a couple of hospitals, we have a power plant, train station, major transportation, the ferry. So, there are a lot of opportunities, I’d say, for people to get injured in very tricky situations,” he said. “Whether you’re down in the engine room of a ship, or in a confined space in a power plant or injured on the roof of the hospital, in this community there could be a lot of opportunities.”

Neubert added, “Something as simple as a broken leg on the bluffs out in the cove … that’s not necessarily the same as a 40-foot wall, but it still involves rope, timing concepts and technical rescue.”

After a successful 90-minutes, and a spectacle for shoppers at the local farmers market across the park, Presta and Neubert were both satisfied with the day’s events.

“This type of training will give us the ability to help other agencies,” Presta said. “Now we’re able to provide a specialty resource like this, and they have the ability to call on us if they don’t have that training or ability or equipment. We can bring it.”

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Deputy Chief Michael Presta with Huckleberry from Canine Companions. Photo by Julianne Mosher

By Julianne Mosher

[email protected]

Port Jefferson EMS has a new volunteer on staff — a golden lab named Huckleberry.

Known to his counterparts as “Huck,” the 2-year-old Canine Companions for Independence facility dog has been hired to respond to stressful situations and bring a sense of relief to those in need. 

Huck is ready for action in the Port Jefferson EMS car. Photo by Julianne Mosher

His handler Deputy Chief Michael Presta said that he became interested in adopting a facility dog when a friend — who is a police officer down in Maryland — told him about the program. Presta began researching Canine Companions and found that there are many different benefits to having a facility dog on premise. 

“A facility dog would be a dog that works in an educational, legal or some sort of clinical hospital health care setting,” he said. “For example, in the legal setting, they work as crime victim advocates for kids that have to testify and things like that, and it’s really kind of gained traction nationally in the education setting of the schools that have them.”

Presta added that hospitals like Mount Sinai and Calvary Hospital in the Bronx have facility dog programs, but Port Jefferson EMS is one of the first on Long Island within the health care industry.

“The dogs work with patients, work with people that are receiving PT, OT services, work with kids — anybody that’s really suffered any trauma,” he said. “And that’s what we’re using Huck for; we’re using him to really engage with the community’s vulnerable populations.”

Presta and his new furry friend will be working side by side engaging with children and adults affected by trauma who they deal with on a daily basis. 

“Not every solution in medicine is giving a medication or starting an IV,” he said. “Sometimes we can slow down work with the patients, and the dog is a great tool
for that.”

Since 1975, Canine Companions has bred, raised and expertly trained assistance dogs in over 40 commands designed to assist people with disabilities or to motivate and inspire clients with special needs. Huck can pull toy wagons, push drawers closed and retrieve all kinds of items. He has specific commands that allow him to interact with patients in a calm and appropriate way.

But it’s not just fun and games having him around. He has a lot of responsibilities while on call. “Right now, he responds in the car with me when I’m working clinically,” Presta said. 

Huck’s badge on the back of his harness.
Photo by Julianne Mosher

Not every opportunity is a good fit for Huck, Presta added. If a patient is extremely ill or isn’t a dog person, Huck usually stands back. But within the last few weeks — Huck just joined the team last month — he has calmed people in distress.

Presta said that while working with patients who have developmental disabilities, sometimes the lights, trucks and uniforms can be a sensory overload for them. 

That’s where Huck comes in.

“We’re hoping that the dog is going to be a great icebreaker tool to kind of break down that barrier,” the deputy chief said. “Establish a lot of communication and get them into the ambulance, get patients to the hospital.”

Port Jefferson EMS is a combination EMS agency of career and volunteer paramedics and EMTs providing 24/7/365 advanced life support ambulance service to the communities of Port Jefferson, Belle Terre, Mount Sinai and Miller Place. 

There is also a unique live-in program for Stony Brook University students where about 15 of them live on premise. They get free room and board in exchange for riding in the ambulance 24 hours a week.

“They get an immersive clinical experience,” Presta said. “They’re here all the time. They get a lot of clinical hours, which makes them really competitive for programs, and we get EMTs in the community here which is needed.”

And Presta said Huck has made friends with each and every one of them. 

“In addition to his role, he helps serve the 200 people in this organization,” he added. “We see some pretty gnarly things from time to time, so Huck is our de-facto licensed therapist here.”

Since his first tour in October, Huck is already off to an excellent start helping out others. 

“It’s been great for us,” Presta said. “He’s been really engaging with the community. We’re out in the village walking around, meeting people, talking to people from all walks of life and he really has been a great tool for us.”

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Photo from Port Jefferson EMS

By Leah Chiappino 

Port Jefferson EMS announced they will be scheduling in-home vaccine appointments Wednesday, after receiving 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine from New York State.

This comes after a delay due to the department not receiving what they said were promised doses from the county. Appointments will be available May 4, and can be scheduled online. Patients will then receive their second dose June 1.

“Our ability to administer vaccines in the home allows us to help the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Deputy Chief Micheal Presta. “Our paramedics are ready, willing and able to take on this new role and enhance the services we provide to the community.”

Photo from Port Jefferson EMS

To qualify, patients must be “homebound and have limited mobility,” which is defined by FEMA as “any individual that cannot get to and from vaccination sites without transportation assistance (due to physical disabilities, economic hardships, or other factors that may hinder an individual’s ability to get to and from a vaccination site without assistance).”

To receive a vaccine from the program, residents must reside in Port Jefferson, Miller Place, or Mount Sinai (11777, 11764, and 11766 zip codes).

Moderna does present logistical challenges in distribution. In following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vial of vaccines, which generally contain 10 to 11 doses, cannot be left unrefrigerated for more than 12 hours.

As such, the EMS department is scheduling  appointments one day at a time. To make an appointment, visit https://calendly.com/portjeffersonems/in-home-covid-19-vaccination-5-4-21?month=2021-05&date=2021-05-04/ or email questions to [email protected].

 

 

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Port Jefferson EMS team has been on the front lines of the pandemic since its start. The team covers the Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson and Belle Terre communities. Photo from Michael Buckley

By Rich Acritelli

Working over 180 hours over the last two weeks, Paramedic Michael Buckley of Port Jefferson has been extremely busy providing dire medical attention to the North Shore community. During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Buckley has been a key member of the Port Jefferson Emergency Medical Services. Around the clock, Buckley has been caring for patients in Belle Terre, Port Jefferson and Mount Sinai. Like every American, he is looking forward for this nation to getting back to normal where he can go to the gym, see his friends and family, and go out to a nice dinner.

Michael Buckley in his military uniform with his brother Shawn. Photo from Buckley

Even during the interview, Buckley was called twice for services to bring sick residents to the Mather, St. Charles and Stony Brook University. It has been a trying period for our nation, but citizens like that of Buckley demonstrate their compassion to help other through perhaps the worst viral this nation has endured in recent memory. He is one of 250,000 Emergency Medical Service workers that immediately answers every type of health-related call. This particular ambulatory company is located on Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Mount Sinai and it is one of the nearly 22,000 transport medical organizations that answer an estimated 240 million calls made each year. During every type of weather condition, this ambulance company has tirelessly worked for the betterment of these local hamlets and villages.

This native of Port Jefferson completed his education at St. Anthony’s High School in Huntington. He enjoyed playing football, excelling at his grades, and continuing the strong tradition of family members that worked and went to this school.  As a young man, Buckley was an Emergency Medical Technician who worked closely with ambulance crews. After graduating in 2008, Buckley was accepted to St. Johns University in Jamaica, Queens. During his college years, he majored in business management and was accepted into the Officer Candid School for the military at his college.   

After earning his degree in 2012, Buckley enlisted into the U.S. Army in 2013 where he completed his Basic Training and Officer Candid School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was later ordered to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was later commissioned as a field artillery officer before being transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was assigned to the field artillery for the combat renown 82nd Airborne Division.  With this elite unit, Buckley earned his wings and eventually made thirteen training jumps. Currently, he is a captain at reserve military base in Farmingdale, where he assists the enlistment of former officers through the Army Reserve Career Division.

This extensive military training has prepared Buckley for the rigors of being on the front lines of dealing with COVID-19. Every day, he is covered from head to toe with protective gear, including a N95 face mask and shield, gloves, goggles and a protective gown. As he still handles every type of medical call, Buckley responds to numerous suspected Covid-19 emergencies that bring people to the three major local hospitals. With twenty words or less, the ambulances quickly communicate with emergency rooms to inform them of the severity of the call. While Buckley does not know the name of every medical professional in these sick bays, he is always amazed at their unyielding devotion to help other during this crisis.

Chief Rob Stoessel is an executive director of this ambulance service and he is extremely proud in how hard his crews are working during this crisis. As he believes that there are less cardiac and respiratory calls, the COVID-19 cases are hampering the process of bringing patients to the hospital. With these crews wearing extensive protective clothing and constantly cleaning their vehicles, equipment and themselves after every call, it has been a daily challenge to carry out their tasks. In order to protect these men and women, they can take showers and wear clean clothing before they drive home in their own cars. The Port Jeff EMS has increased its mobile fleet to five ambulances and three emergency service vehicles that are operating during all hours of every day. Stoessel said he wanted to thank his EMTs who were students at Stony Brook University. For a time, many of these student-volunteers were without housing, but they have shown an extreme amount of comradery to support the operations of the ambulance company.  Currently, some of these volunteers are staying at Danford’s Hotel in Port Jefferson.   

Buckley said he believes that the “social distancing” has been working, but people still need to stay home and away from each other. Driving numerous hours through our local towns, Buckley has seen a tremendous growth in the use of face masks and gloves. From his own observations, he sees the importance of listening to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and following the guidelines issued by the Center by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Even as Buckley has been working through this daunting physical and mental schedule, he has been enrolled at the Farmingdale State College. He is using his Montgomery GI Bill to complete the necessary prerequisites to be accepted by a future medical school. With a wealth of military and health background, he is determined to help future citizens in becoming an emergency room doctor. Stoessel said he has been highly impressed by the skills and dedication of Buckley and he believes that this paramedic “represents all that is good with this country.” 

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