Ambulance Wait Times Not Affected By Surge: CL Fire Officials

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — The Crystal Lake Fire Protection District has been transporting many more COVID-19 patients to the hospital in recent weeks. But longer ambulance wait times have not yet been an issue during the most recent COVID-19 surge, Paul DeRaedt, battalion chief for the Crystal Lake Fire Protection District, told Patch on Tuesday.

That has not been the case in other areas in the U.S. where the influx in patients, coupled with the number of employees out sick with COVID, has overwhelmed ambulatory services. That has been the case in Los Angeles County and the St. Louis area in recent weeks, according to online media reports.

As of Tuesday, Crystal Lake was transporting four COVID patients per day. A couple months ago, paramedics would go several days without transporting a patient with COVID symptoms, DeRaedt said.

But the local fire protection district has not seen a jump in employees needing to quarantine or who've been out sick with COVID, DeRaedt said. As part of the fire protection district’s protocol, employees on the ambulance must wear N95 masks, goggles, gloves and gowns.

Also, prior to the patient being brought onto the ambulance, one masked employee will go to their front door, make sure they have a mask, and, if they do not, provide them with one, DeRaedt said.

Crystal Lake’s minimum staffing is 15 employees per day and the fire protection district has kept that level throughout the pandemic, DeRaedt said. There has been more overtime paid out to employees filling in for others and working longer hours throughout the pandemic, he said.