Emergency Medical Services

Ambulance Service History

Throughout our history, we have dedicated ourselves to responding in times when needed most.

— 1993 World Trade Center bombing

When a small terrorist cell detonated explosives in the underground parking garage at the World Trade Center, the Ambulance Services Department led the forward triage on the building’s 34th floor.

—September 11 terror attack

The 10-DAVID unit of NewYork-Presbyterian’s Emergency Medical Service was one of the first units on the scene of the 2001 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Two dedicated members of the 10-DAVID crew — emergency medical technician (EMT) Mario Santoro and paramedic Keith Fairben — died when the towers collapsed. FDNY firefighters James Pappageorge and Kevin Pfeifer, who worked closely with NewYork-Presbyterian’s EMS as paramedics, also died. In the seven months that followed the attack, NYP-EMS provided two 24-hour on-site Advanced Life Support units to care for rescuers working on the recovery at the site. The EMTs and paramedics of NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services refocused their energy and talent on the continuing the legacies of our fallen co-workers.

Following the September 11 attacks, NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services expanded critical care, high risk infant, and 9-1-1 ambulance services, and became the largest Hospital based Emergency Medical Services provider in New York City.

—Hurricane Katrina

When a Category 3 storm made landfall in the Gulf Coast region, NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services responded to assist residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The 2005 hurricane is one of the most destructive and powerful hurricanes ever to hit the United States. During the 10-day disaster assistance mission, the EMS team provided primary or emergency care to almost 350 people and helped thousands of displaced persons. This mission was the maiden voyage for NewYork-Presbyterian’s new Mobile Command Center.

—Hurricane Sandy

The October 2012 hurricane named Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of that year — affecting 24 states, Canada, and the Greater Antilles. Thanks to the steadfast Emergency Medical Services personnel and their unwavering dedication to patients in extreme distress, more than 100 patients from neighboring institutions were carefully transferred to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for care.

—Guardian of Life Award

In 2015, the NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services Critical Care Team was given the Guardian of Life Award by the New York City Regional Emergency Medical Services Council. The award is given to those teams who demonstrate outstanding patient care and provision of special services that improve the quality of life of our patients.

—Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit

Working in collaboration with the FDNY, NewYork-Presbyterian launched the first Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit (MSTU) on the East Coast in 2016 and expanded coverage in 2018 to the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The MSUT Program brings highly trained crews to the patient to diagnose and treat strokes up to 40 minutes faster than if the patient were to be transported the hospital for care. To learn more about the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, please click here.

—Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria is regarded as being the worst natural disaster on record to affect Puerto Rico. To help provide much-needed medical care for suffering residents, NewYork-Presbyterian deployed two Disaster Response Teams to the area on October 2017. The eight physicians, two physician assistants, fifteen nurses and one emergency management coordinator were among 78 healthcare professionals who traveled to Puerto Rico as part of an effort coordinated by the Greater New York Hospital Association and the Healthcare Association of New York State, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the State of New York, and the Puerto Rico Department of Health. The learn more about the NewYork-Presbyterian Disaster Response Team click here.

NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services is continually innovating to elevate the quality of services rendered to you and your loved ones.