NYC Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC) is requesting the public to adhere to new protocol when it comes to minor illness or injury. A press release issued on April 2 contained the following information.

“In an effort to protect our residents and our Essential First Responders, specifically our EMTs and Paramedics, the NYC Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC), has revised several regional protocols. The following refers to the most recent:

1. To maintain a functioning EMS System the staffing requirements have been relaxed to allow 911 ALS units to operate with 1 paramedic and 1 EMT, and 911 BLS units to operate with 1 EMT and 1 CFR. This is the same standard as non911 ambulances, as well as throughout the state. This change in staffing is required to maintain an operational 911 System that is being impacted by increasing numbers of our EMS professionals becoming ill and quarantined.

2. The Cardiac Arrest procedure has been changed so that victims of cardiac arrest, who do not respond to CPR and other standard treatments according to existing treatment guidelines, will be pronounced on the scene. Due to the tremendous volume of patients in our Emergency Departments, patients who are pronounced on the scene will not be transported to an emergency department. Furthermore, CPR is a significantly high-risk procedure and would further jeopardize EMS providers. Emergency Departments are severely overcrowded and transporting patients pronounced on the scene only increases ED workload and potentially exposes ED staff and patients to COVID19.

3. In accord with the NYS Department of Health, REMAC has directed EMS crews to educate the public not to use ambulance transport to emergency departments in cases of minor illness or injury. Both the 911 System and emergency departments are overloaded with critically ill patients and patients not in need of critical care who arrive unnecessarily at an ED can risk exposure to COVID19.