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DISASTER RESPONSE came in from out of state; we certainly embraced it, but that was a challenge for our providers because we don't have EMT-Intermediates in New Jersey. We had to educate in the middle of the storm about what other states' capabilities are and their scope of practice." Still, in-state EMS agencies were thankful for the help. Those services that were still fully or partially operational were working non-stop for the first couple weeks after the storm hit. MONOC EMS, which operates a fleet of more than 100 ambulances and serves 15 acute care hospitals throughout New Jersey, faced many of the same problems as every other agency affected by the storm, says Andrew Caruso, director of operations for MONOC EMS and deputy EMS coordinator for the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management. "We had secured additional generators for our headquarters in order to ensure that we didn't lose power to the HVAC system and our communications equipment," says Caruso."We sent adequate medical supplies and vehicle maintenance items to all of our satellite stations and filled sandbags to keep water from coming into our facilities. We identified locations that had been affected by Hurricane Irene flooding and raised everything off of floors and relocated staff and vehicles to higher ground. All primary response units and backup vehicles were fueled in advance, but that was challenging because most citizens had the same idea—gasoline was in short supply and stations were becoming overcrowded. Diesel was less difficult to find, but again, the stations were difficult to access." Evacuation When Time is of the Essence Rely on Actsoft® from AT&T;® & Enhanced Push-to-Talk With Actsoft from AT&T; and Enhanced Push-to-Talk medical transport providers nationwide can streamline patient care. Dispatchers can optimize routes with GPS tracking. Field staff maintain on-time appointments with mobile time clock. Supervisors can assign visits with a drag and drop interface. Documents may be sent for immediate processing with Advanced Wireless Forms. Get Actsoft® from AT&T;® : www.actsoft.com/eptt/healthcare 888.732.6638 sales@actsoft.com For More Information Circle 31 on Reader Service Card 34 MARCH 2013 | EMSWORLD.com One of the primary roles for EMS crews, especially the out-of-state units summoned through EMAC, prior to the storm was evacuation. Cortacans says a final tally of individuals assisted before, during and after the storm is a long way off, but the New Jersey EMS Task Force oversaw the evacuation of 16 nursing homes prior to the storm. In the 24 hours before Sandy struck, the Task Force assisted in the evacuation of 140 patients from the Hoboken University Medical Center, in Hudson County, and following the storm, once flood waters receded, helped another Hudson County hospital, Palisades Medical Center, evacuate patients who had been trapped by the overflowing Hudson River. In all, Cortacans notes, five state shelters were opened. Thirty-nine hospitals and 196 nursing homes lost power and more than 1,500 healthcare facility residents were evacuated out of all those facilities combined. Statewide, New Jersey suffered 40 Sandy-related deaths, and nearly 1,000