Jared Rosenburg, a paramedic supervisor and president of the Emergency Medical Services unit in Greenburgh for CSEA, AFSCME Local 1000 says that he is in dire need of two things: personal protective equipment and Congressional support for the healthcare workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19.
Out of the 30 calls his unit responds to per day, about 20% are COVID-related, leading him to worry about the shortage of equipment.
‘We need more personal protective equipment, including N-95 masks. We’ve resorted to collecting masks from the public,” he says. “So far, over 195 masks and 1,000 surgical masks have been donated by residents. We’re grateful for what we have collected, but this is no way to prepare for an uptick in cases.”
Leadership from Congress is another thing that is needed on the front lines. The sacrifices from everyone on the ground shouldn’t go unnoticed, Rosenburg says.
“We’ve got to get ahead of this where we can, keep people off the streets and protect workers,” he says. “We’re looking for leadership and action from Congress to help us here on the ground.”
Read more about the support EMS workers are looking for during the COVID-19 pandemic here.