In the Oyster Bay community, both the Oyster Bay Fire Department as well as the Atlantic Steamer Fire Department, provide Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Generally speaking, the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company responds to calls for medical assistance as a First Responder, while the Oyster Bay Fire Company provides both Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support on the scene and during the transport of the patient to either Glen Cove Community Hospital or Syosset Hospital.
While both companies respond to more than 600 EMS calls every year, NYS Department of Health regulations require that every EMT and Paramedic participate in on going quality assurance program. The scope of this program mandates that the Emergency Department medical directors of both Glen Cove and Syosset Hospital insure that both departments are in compliance with existing procedures as well as to update EMS personnel on any new modalities in Emergency Medicine.
In addition to the above physician management, the Oyster Bay Fire Department sends every patient a questionnaire (QI letter) in order to insure that the patient and their family were comfortable with the treatment afforded them by the EMS squad. The questionnaire asks the patient or family to rate the performance given to them by the EMTs or Paramedics in the area of, but certainly not limited to, response times, professional appearance etc. This information upon return to the Oyster Bay Fire Company is evaluated by the fire company and used to improve, if necessary, our performance to future patients within the community.
Some of the comments that the fire company has received from our patients have been overwhelmingly positive. Here are just a few of the comments that we have received. Everyone was wonderful; “I am so grateful for the wonderful people who showed up at my door in the wee hours of the morning. They did an excellent job and made me feel I was in very competent hands when I was in such severe pain.”
While we hope that you will never require the services of EMS members from your local fire departments, you can rest assured that the members of both Oyster Bay and Atlantic Steamer Fire Companies will be ready and willing to offer the best in pre-hospital care to the citizens protected by us.
