- Atma Degeyndt has been a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) and first responder in New York City for four years in addition to his full-time job helping startups.
- He's working 16 to 24-hour days right now and pays for his own tactical jacket, stethoscope, medical backpack, and personal protective equipment.
- Cardiac arrest calls have been the hardest to deal with - and he and his colleagues have begun trying to convince people to not go to the hospital unless their condition is critical.
- He imagines he's a 'symptom-free carrier' of the coronavirus and uses a very detailed process for decontaminating his clothes, boots, and equipment before he enters his apartment.
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Atma Degeyndt lives in the East Village and has been a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT)/first responder in New York City for four years. He's been on the front lines of NYC hospitals since the coronavirus pandemic.
He knew how bad the coronavirus would be before it was deemed a pandemic
I am a volunteer EMT. Usually, I go out on weekends. I deal with car accidents, asthma attacks, stabbings, etcetera. You know, the kind of emergencies you expect in a city like New York.
Then I got an email. It was around March 10. The state and city government agencies wanted to deploy all the volunteer agencies. They wanted to make us part of 911, give us city radios and have us answer calls anywhere needed. That was a big deal. That meant they knew this was going to be bad.
Between his day job helping startups get off the ground and his work as a volunteer EMT and field training officer, he's working nearly 16 to 24 hours a day
I've been leaving my day job at 3:30 p.m. for a 4 p.m. to midnight shift on the ambulance. I usually get home at about 1 or 2 a.m. - though one night, I had to work 4 p.m. to midnight in Brooklyn, then raced to Manhattan to work midnight to 8 a.m., because the city needed all hands on deck. The volunteer agencies are asking their members to give their all.
I love what I do, but it does put some wear and tear on my body and my budget. I pay for my uniform, patches, tactical jacket, stethoscope, and a medical backpack. I also buy some of my protective equipment, such as gloves and masks.
The medical equipment shortage is real
There is a frightening shortage of masks, gowns, face shields, gloves and alcohol wipes. The wipes are crucial for sanitizing the stretcher and any medical equipment we use, so we're always looking for people who can make donations either in the form of cash or supplies.
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