Crime & Safety

Glen Cove EMS Tallies Hurricane Response

Weekly average of calls increased from 45 to 70 for two weeks following city's state of emergency.

For most Glen Cove residents, Hurricane Sandy meant a slow recovery to power and cleanup of property damage that continues still. 

For members of Glen Cove EMS and other city emergency response agencies, the storm has meant a sustained period of long hours and sharp increases in calls and tasks in service of city residents.

"City of Glen Cove first responders have been working around the clock for more than two weeks with extra personnel to assure the safety of residents during the rescue and recovery operations of Hurricane Sandy," said Glen Cove EMS chief Matt Venturino in an email. "The city is self-sufficient and relies on a teamwork approach of all city agencies and departments coordinated by the mayor’s office and the Glen Cove Office of Emergency Management."

Find out what's happening in Glen Covewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Venturino supplied a list of statistics and descriptions of his agency's efforts before, during and after the storm. The following represents a two-week period beginning with the city's declaration of a state of emergency on Oct. 27 and ending Nov. 10. Venturino added that responders are still answering hurricane-related calls.

  • 135 ambulance calls - increase in carbon monoxide calls, injury from falls and assisting the Glen Cove Volunteer Fire Department at the scene of fires. Glen Cove EMS usually averages 45 calls per week. During and after the storm, 70 were averaged per week.
  • 112 welfare checks - these were either called directly into EMS/FD Dispatch or through the mayor’s office by friends or relatives of people who could not be reached. Crews went to their house to check on their well-being and let the family or friend know they were okay.
  • Assisted 8 individuals who were dependent on life-saving equipment for which a generator ran out of gasoline. EMS members with gas cans purchased fuel for them and assisted in keeping their generators running.
  • EMS crews assisted at the Glen Cove High School Red Cross Shelter and at the City of Glen Cove Emergency Shelter at the Senior Center. Crews provided medical assessments of people checking into the shelters and provided on-site EMS coverage. Two people who checked into the shelter were treated by EMT's and transported to Glen Cove Hospital for evaluations.
  • EMS crews assisted with door-to-door evacuations of Morgan's Island, Butler Street Senior Citizen Complex and the Glen Arms Apartments 21-31 Brewster Street after there was a fire in that building on Nov. 3.
  • The agency's 16-foot Special Operations trailer made two trips to the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management to pick up disaster supplies and equipment for the City of Glen Cove and its shelter.
  • Two ambulances and two first responder trucks were staffed day and night from Oct 26th to Nov 10th with volunteer and paid medical personnel. On several occasions, all four ambulances and response vehicles were staffed and out on calls.

Venturino expressed gratitude to all city workers who did their part to help the city recover. 

Find out what's happening in Glen Covewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I would like to personally thank the entire City of Glen Cove first responder community who came together during the hurricane to get the job done. That includes members of the Fire Dept., Police Dept., Auxiliary Police, Emergency Management, Dept. of Public Works and the Mayor's Office who worked tirelessly, around the clock," he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.