EMS WEEK 2009: EMS Competition

EMTs treat a simulated victim who went in to cardiac arrest during the 2009 EMS Competition.

Outside a Brooklyn university, a professor is worried about his wife, who is being tended to by FDNY EMS members after she complained of chest pains and went into cardiac arrest.

Just steps away, other EMS members are identifying a hazardous substance and donning their Personal Protective Equipment as toxic smoke fills the area.

Luckily, none of it was real. It was all part of the 9th Annual EMS Competition held in Metrotech Commons on May 21.

“We’re trying to evaluate how well our members do their job and protect themselves,” Chief of EMS John Peruggia said. “And they all performed incredibly well.”

The competition, sponsored by the Office of Medical Affairs, scored teams based on how well they performed a number of tasks, including reading an electrocardiogram, dealing with faulty equipment and ventilating a patient. Teams also were required to determine whether or not a patient should be transported directly to a hospital that can perform a specialized procedure to open a heart blockage.

“This competition shows you are the best,” said Dr. David Prezant, Chief Medical Officer for the Office of Medical Affairs.

Many of the 27 competition participants said they felt it was a great way to assess their skills and ability to think under pressure.

“This was really well put together and I think it really tested us,” said EMT Thomas Siciliano of Station 58, who served as team leader for the first place Basic Life Support (BLS) team.

EMT Anthony Terranova agreed, noting that their training kicked in and they worked as a team: “We overcame our obstacles and worked together.”

As they recouperated from the 30 minute skills test, their teammate P.J. Derosa added, “I think this really shows the city what we do every day.”

First place winners for Advanced Life Support also were from Station 58, including Lt. Michelle Robbins and Paramedics Juan Cortes and Sean McGrath. Paramedic McGrath, a first time competitor for the unit, said he was not nervous beforehand.

“We prepared for this and we all work together every day, so once you’re in there and you start working, you just concentrate on what you do,” he said.

Second place for the ALS competition went to members of Station 4 in Manhattan (Paramedics Feliks Granovskiy, Man Wai Law and William Meringolo) and third place went to members of Station 43 in Brooklyn (Paramedics Jane Corella, Matt Jachyra and Stuart Weinstein).

For BLS, second place went to the members of Station 4 (EMTs Ziaotian Bao, Miguel Perez and Meter Molinelli) and third went to members of Station 43 (EMTs Chad Ritorto, Christopher Russo and Robert Strafer).

All the winners received a cash prize for use at their stations, donated by the FDNY Foundation. All the participants also received tools and equipment donated by various EMS groups.

During the event the Command also unveiled a music video by Paramedic Farooq Muhammad and former Paramedic Christopher Marquart (now a firefighter at Engine 323), urging people to call 9-1-1 in emergencies.

Actor Randolph Mantooth, star of the 1970s television show Emergency! also was on hand to congratulate the winners.