California’s ambulance workers face surging virus
Emergency medical technicians for Amwest Ambulance have worked with coronavirus patients in Los Angeles since March. During this surge of cases in California, roughly 40 percent of the patients they transport are considered “COVID-19 probable.”
The day begins with calls to the dispatch center. Linze Thompson, 26, records information: the state of patients’ health, their coronavirus test results and safety precautions the EMTs must take. The dispatcher notes an estimated time for patient pickup and contacts the crew on call. Crews time each transport down to the minute.
Once on location, Joshua Berrios, 30, dons a mask, gown, face shield, goggles and gloves. The EMTs approach each scene as if the patient were positive for the coronavirus.
Brian Fula-Napoli, an Amwest manager, says the company’s costs have risen 25 percent to 30 percent because of the cost of supplies. If the trend continues, he worries there may be fewer private ambulance companies in the future.
Javier De La Cruz, 23, checks each patient’s vital signs three times: when the EMTs arrive, while in the ambulance and when the crew reaches its destination.
Sometimes EMT crews must wait four to six hours to find a bed in a hospital that will accept their patients’ insurance or where their doctors have privileges.
After every run, De La Cruz disinfects the back of the ambulance — from the seat belts that strap patients to gurneys to the rig’s floor. It’s a standard protocol that has taken on new importance during the pandemic.
Crews have developed close relationships since the pandemic began in March. Many request certain partners, Fula-Napoli said, since they know each other’s working style and personalities. They have built up trust.
The job of an EMT is grueling. Most work 12- or 24-hour shifts. Many EMTs make near minimum wage, sometimes working two or three jobs to make ends meet. In Los Angeles, many have left for higher-paying temporary jobs at COVID-19 testing sites.
Tim Shelton, 36, has worked as an EMT for 13 years. In a field with a high turnover and burnout rate, he is seen as a veteran. He has four children, ages 2 to 19, whom he tries to keep safe. “I don’t think about it. You just cover up and do the best you can.”
As the pandemic worsens in California, Shelton is starting to do more COVID-19 runs. “It’s a scary thing — you’ve got to go out with a positive mindset,” he said.
Berrios has been an EMT for six years. He is studying to be a nurse. When he took the job, he knew that the work and hours could be unpredictable. “The only thing I can control is just to protect myself and then to help out my partner and then whatever I can do for the patient.”
Early in a recent shift, Omar De La Torre, 24, started feeling symptoms, so he alerted dispatchers. “First I worried about my son and my wife, and then lastly, I started worrying about myself.”
Thirty minutes later, another EMT arrived to relieve him. De la Torre tested positive for the virus the next day. His wife, mother, stepfather and brother all tested positive as well.
Private ambulances aid the flow of patients from hospitals to other facilities, clearing space for incoming cases. This has become more vital in the past month, as hospitals have hit intensive care unit capacity in Los Angeles.
Amwest is hoping to receive COVID-19 vaccines to distribute to its front-line workers this week.
“I’m not one of those people that do it for the pat on the back. I just do the job,” Deandre Predom, 31, said. “I get gratification from doing the job, and doing a good job.”