Competition, Dinner Highlight FDNY's EMS Week 2008
Today's 8th Annual EMT/Paramedic Competition/Exhibition, followed by an invitation-only EMS Appreciation Dinner. is a highlight of EMS Week for the Fire Department of New York, which recently released its 2007 Vital Statistics report showing how much its fire, EMS, and civilian employees accomplished last year. EMS Week 2008 began last Sunday and continues until Saturday, raising public safety awareness among New Yorkers and attracting potential recruits to join 3,107 uniformed FDNY EMS personnel (as of 2007).
The week began with Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta and other FDNY officials unveiling the EMS Week 2008 poster, which features Isiah Hollingsworth, 4, of Brooklyn, who was resuscitated by FDNY EMS members after he fell into his family's backyard swimming pool in 2005. Other highlights of the week include memorial ceremonies, blood drives, today's competition, the State EMS Memorial Dedication Ceremony, and a memorial service for fallen FDNY Paramedic Deborah Reeve, who died March 15, 2006.
The Vital Statistics report shows FDNY had 11,544 uniformed fire personnel in fiscal 2007, 221 fire houses, and 30 EMS stations. Average response time to all fire incidents for the year was 4 minutes, 49 seconds and average response time to all EMS incidents for the year was 8 minutes, 13 seconds. There were 95 civilian fire deaths during the year and 1,033 pre-hospital saves (resuscitations). Total fire incidents were 490,767 and total EMS incidents were 1,187,602; the department serves a population of 8,250,567. according to the report. The Bureau of Fire Prevention conducted 180,508 inspections during the fiscal year and issued 59,712 violations, it says. The department's busiest engine company, Engine 58, made 5,627 runs during the year; its busiest ladder company (Ladder 26) made 4,608 runs; and its busiest EMS unit, (07B3) made 2,219 runs.