Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) lift a patient into an ambulance while wearing protective gear, as the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in New York City, New York, March 24, 2020.
Stefan Jeremiah | Reuters
The head of New York City’s emergency medical services union said Wednesday the city is preparing to lay off hundreds of its members as the budget crisis grows amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Oren Barzilay, president of FDNY EMS Local 257, blamed Mayor Bill DeBlasio and his administration for the expected fallout.
said in a statement, “Even with the threat of a second wave of COVID-19 looming and two recent outbreaks in Brooklyn, Bill de Blasio and his team at City Hall wants to balance the city’s budget on our backs, eliminating some 400 emergency medical responder positions and placing every New Yorker’s life at risk.”
A spokesperson for the FDNY referred an inquiry to City Hall. A spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio did not immediately respond.
More from NBC News
“Yesterday, we were praised as heroes, essential workers saving lives,” Barzilay said. “Today, the city government treats us like zeros. New Yorkers who lived through this deadly pandemic know otherwise.”
De Blasio has said the city may need to cut as many as 22,000 employees as it grapples with declining contributions from the state and a tax base decimated by people leaving the city, a shuttered Broadway, and a nearly non-existent tourism industry.
The city’s emergency medical technicians and paramedics responded to record call volume in March and early April, peaking at some 6,500 calls a day.
The EMTs and paramedics were not immune to COVID-19. At the peak, nearly 1 in 4 were out sick as the virus ravaged New York City, killing over 23,000 residents so far.
Related Post
Mar
The Health Benefits of Deep Breathing (and 4 Easy Techniques!)
Breathing is a characteristic and compulsory activity that occurs for our bodies to take in and discharge air. A necessary activity assists our bodies with working through day to day existence. Breathing assists our respiratory framework with moving oxygen in.
Read MoreMar
10 Yoga Poses to Boost the Immune System
As the days get more limited and temperatures decrease, we might have seen our schedules are advising us that the Christmas season is quick drawing nearer. That additionally implies that cold and influenza season is back! Yet again sadly for.
Read MoreMar
7 Health Benefits of Attending Concerts
Music resembles an embrace for your spirit. Music is quite possibly of the best gift we have on this planet. It assists us with communicating our feelings, it interfaces with others, and it could actually help us unwind and ease.
Read MoreMar
Why Are Cancer Rates Rising in Adults Under 50?
One of the most widely recognized risk factors for disease is something we can't hope to make any significant difference with age. Our disease risk increments as we age, with the typical age at conclusion drifting around 68. Yet, another concentrate.
Read More