Hempstead 'voluntarily' disbands emergency medical services team, state says

The Town of Hempstead has decided to disband its emergency medical services team, according to the New York State Department of Health.

“The State Health Department is aware that Hempstead has voluntarily elected to disband its EMS,” spokeswoman Cadence Acquaviva said in a Dec. 29 email. “The town has since taken possession of all EMS vehicles, which are owned by the town.”

Hempstead Town officials have provided few details about what happened to the town's emergency medical services unit that had employed 73 people in 2022. It's unclear if the town continues to employ anyone in the unit. 

The Nassau Regional Emergency Medical Services Council, a group created by the State Legislature that coordinates emergency care in the county, said at a Dec. 18 committee meeting Hempstead was surrendering its state certification to provide basic and advanced life-support services, according to a video of the meeting.

At Tuesday's town board meeting, a former town EMS worker criticized the town's decision to disband the unit and the lack of public information about its decision. 

"It seems like there was a significant reduction of service without any input from the community as well as any notice to the community," said Mary-Anna Baldino, of Island Park.

Baldino asked who was going to deal with medical emergencies at town beaches. 

"We do have a humongous lifeguard staff that can do some basic abilities in life saving, not all of them," Frank Zangla, Hempstead Town parks commissioner responded. 

Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. said at the meeting the town would have first aid attendants to assist beach lifeguards.

Town spokesman Greg Blower said in a Dec. 29 email the town will rely on medical services provided by local police and fire departments. 

On Friday, Newsday emailed the town more than a dozen questions about the EMS unit, including queries about its size and the timeline to disband. On Tuesday, Blower said the town would not answer those questions. Clavin declined to be interviewed Tuesday.

The town’s EMS team worked in the Department of Conservation & Waterways and was headquartered in Lido Beach. All the workers were considered part-time, though a few earned more than $40,000 a year. In 2022, the town paid its EMS staff $1 million, according to town payroll records. Baldino, who started working for the town in May 2019, according to town records, said in an interview that despite her title as a part-time first aid attendant, she worked year-round, usually 24 to 36 hours per week, and was hired for her certification to administer advanced life-support.

"I was told on Dec. 27 that we would all be released from employment on Dec. 29," Baldino said. 

The town’s longtime emergency medical director, David Neubert resigned in October. At that time, the town downplayed a News 12 report that there were layoffs in the unit. 

“It’s still operating,” Blower told Newsday on Oct. 17, adding they still had 37 people in its EMS unit "on the roster." 

“It runs seven days a week,” he said. 

Blower said the town’s seasonal workers in its EMS unit had left because the summer season was over. 

“They bring them back next year but there’s a certain stable of people that we keep so we have services year-round,” Blower said at that time.

Newsday reported in March 2020 the town had added advanced paramedics earlier that year, before the pandemic, to assist local fire departments.

In 2022, the town employed an emergency medical director, an emergency medical technician, 58 part-time first aid attendants and 13 seasonal first aid attendants.