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Emergency Medical Services

The Department of Emergency Services consists of four divisions: Fire Training, Communications, Emergency Management (OEM), and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The EMS office was formerly a part of the Westchester County Medical Center.

The EMS division works on facilitating communications between EMS agencies and the county, assists with mutual aid coordination during large-scale incidents, and is available to lend on-scene support with incident command when necessary.  

To assist the local EMS agencies during a large-scale multi-patient event, a number of Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) trailers have been placed around the county for easy access if needed. These trailers contain basic medical equipment, including backboards, oxygen, radios, and other basic supplies that would normally be needed during a large incident involving multiple patients. 

The division utilizes EMS Zone Coordinators to help disseminate and provide feedback for the 45 EMS agencies in the county. The EMS Zone Coordinators provide assistance at large scale medical events and work as a liaison with the EMS agencies in the county. 

Together with the Westchester Regional EMS Council (WREMSCO), the EMS division coordinates educational offerings for EMS providers and disseminates training and educational announcements and associated information to agencies and providers. Programs include education on disaster response, child and elder abuse, scene safety, pediatric care, response to terrorism, respiratory protection, and weekly EMS grand rounds.   

The WREMSCO handles the affairs of the Regional EMS Council and Medical Advisory Committee. The day-to-day management of the Westchester Regional EMS Council (WREMSCO) is directed by the EMS division. The WREMSCO handles the affairs of the Regional EMS Council and Medical Advisory Committee. These bodies regulate EMS systems, advanced life support treatment protocols, and manage the transfer or new applications for EMS operating territory in the county. The program agency is an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the Emergency Medical Services system in Westchester.  

The EMS division manages the county's Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training program. This program has coordinated the placement of over 120 automated external defibrillators in many county buildings, parks, and emergency services vehicles.  

Our CPR/AED training initiative has resulted in having over 1100 county employees certified in CPR and in the use of Automated External Defibrillation. It is our goal with this program to help decrease the number of hospital cardiac arrests in the county. 

The division works closely with the EMS, fire, and police agencies in the county with our fit testing machines loaner program. These machines are loaned to local emergency responders so they can properly test respirators and self-contained breathing masks on their personnel. 

The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services endeavors to enhance the quality of life of every person in the county by providing comprehensive training, communication, and emergency response and management services for municipalities and emergency service agencies in order to minimize loss of life, property, and damage to the environment.

 

 

Westchester County Emergency Management (WCEM)

Westchester County Emergency Management (WCEM) leads the County's year-round efforts to plan and prepare for hazards of concern that could impact Westchester's communities. Our team of dedicated and skilled Emergency Managers provides the leadership, support, and coordination needed to ensure Westchester County is ready to respond, and recover from disaster. WCEM projects and programs utilize an all-hazards approach that incorporates the pillars of Emergency Management: Mitigation, Planning, Response, and Recovery, with the focused goal of minimizing loss of life and property when disaster hits. 

WCEM works collectively with local, state, federal, and private sector partners in emergency management to plan and prepare for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional responses to all-natural or man-made disasters. 

Our activities are driven by the five mission areas of the National Preparedness Goal (FEMA):

  • Prevention: Prevent, avoid or stop an imminent, threatened, or actual act of terrorism.

  • Protection: Protect our citizens, residents, visitors, and assets against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allow our interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive.

  • Mitigation: Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters.

  • Response: Respond quickly to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident. 

  • Recovery: Recover through a focus on the timely restoration, strengthening, and revitalization of infrastructure, housing, and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic, and environmental fabric of communities affected by a catastrophic incident. 

WCEM is located at the New York State Department of Transportation Hudson Valley Traffic Management Center (TMC), 200 Bradhurst Avenue, Hawthorne, NY 10532.

Fire Services Division

The Fire Services Division within the Department of Emergency Services is comprised of four units: fire training, fire inspection, special operations, and fire prevention and protection.

The division administers, coordinates, and maintains the fire training program. Career and volunteer firefighters from Westchester County's 58 fire departments receive their training and education in fire department operations at our facility. An adjunct staff of 50 fire instructors enables our department to deliver over 100 comprehensive courses annually, as well as hands-on skills training. To register for training, contact your department chief or training officer.

The fire training division, in conjunction with Westchester County Career Chiefs, conducts and administers the Career Firefighter Academy. This is a 16-week academy program for newly hired career firefighters designed by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control. The academy program is scheduled twice annually, in the spring and fall.

Our fire inspection bureau is responsible for inspecting all buildings, facilities, and properties owned or operated by Westchester County. The program was developed to ensure that county employees are safe in their work environment and citizens are safe when entering and using any county facility.

The Grasslands campus is occupied by various government buildings and educational facilities including DES, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Westchester County Department of Corrections, and Westchester County Labs and Research. Fire protection and suppression services for the campus are provided by the Grasslands Fire Brigade. The brigade, under the direction of Chief Neil Caputo, provides fire protection services from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The members are employees of the Departments of Emergency Services and Public Works who volunteer their services.