When a novel coronavirus began to spread across the globe and within the U.S., paramedics and EMTs faced an unrelenting wave of uncertainty. While guidance and best practices shifted rapidly to keep up with researchers’ evolving knowledge of the virus, it began to spread rapidly, overwhelming EMS systems with skyrocketing call volumes and forcing providers to make life-or-death decisions.
Every shift, medics walked into the unknown as supply chains broke down, and PPE shortages meant reusing masks for days, even as they treated patients gasping for air, unsure if they themselves had been exposed.
Providers weren’t just worried about their own health; they feared bringing the virus home to their families. With hospitals at capacity and resources stretched thin, EMS became the front line of an unprecedented crisis, testing their endurance, resilience and mental fortitude in ways no one had ever imagined.
When the first community-spread case of COVID-19 in New York State was identified in New Rochelle, paramedics and EMTs rose to the challenge. Among them was then 28-year-old Alanna Badgley, a paramedic with Empress Emergency Medical Services in Yonkers, who found herself in an unexpected spotlight — featured on the cover of “Time” magazine as part of a special report, highlighting the “Heroes of the front lines.”
I recently sat down with Badgley, who reflected on the opportunity to elevate EMS challenges in the public eye, and on how the pandemic reshaped the EMS profession — both the lasting impacts and the changes still needed today.
“We’re being asked to put our lives at risk to fight something. I feel like I was drafted.”
— TIME (@TIME) April 9, 2020
Alanna Badgley, a paramedic in Yonkers, New York https://t.co/myWUwqBKh0 pic.twitter.com/ULN2fKRGe4
Facing fear and uncertainty
Though often asked to reflect on the early days of the paramedic, by both media outlets and those new to the profession, Badgley finds it difficult. “We were genuinely terrified,” she recalls. The unknowns surrounding the virus, lack of PPE, and the sheer volume of patients created an environment of uncertainty and fear. Providers worried about contracting the virus and spreading it to loved ones, and whether their workplaces could protect them. Many had to make tough personal choices — stay on the front lines or step away for their own safety.
The pandemic didn’t just expose weaknesses in the healthcare system — it magnified the operational problems EMS had long faced. “All of the cracks in the foundation got exposed,” Badgley said. “Funding issues, retention issues, recruitment problems — everything got worse.”
“I remember the first person I saw walk,” Badgley related. “He had a lot of risks, a lot of health risks ... when he was put into the full Tyvek suit, he just experienced extreme claustrophobia and extreme panic.And felt that he needed to, that he was not going to be able to live up to the standards that were expected. And so, he, at that moment, was like, you know what, I have to do what I have to do to protect myself and make sure that my family still has me at the end of this.” Badgley noted her fellow medic was extremely distressed, calling her in tears. “I know that he did not do that lightly,” she said.
The mental health toll
Perhaps the most enduring impact of COVID-19 on EMS has been on mental health. “Wave one, we went into fight mode. We had a mission, and we pushed through,” Badgley said. “Wave two was different. It was, ‘Oh my God, we have to do this again?’”
Each successive wave of COVID saw an increase in anxiety, depression, PTSD and burnout. “People started leaving EMS because they just couldn’t do it anymore,” she said. Those who stayed had to find ways to cope, and for many, that meant finally seeking mental health resources.
Badgley shared she herself experienced the worst burnout of her career 2 years into the pandemic. It was her partner that reached out. After a call, he told her that she wasn’t acting like herself. “This isn’t normal for you, and I don’t like seeing this side of you and I want to see you better.”
She expressed gratitude for that partner, noting she hadn’t noticed herself, but his raising the red flag led her to seek therapy.
“If there’s one good thing that came out of this, it’s that we’ve made progress in destigmatizing mental health in EMS,” Badgley noted. Peer support teams, telehealth therapy options and a broader cultural shift toward acknowledging provider stress have all gained traction in the last 5 years.
“The ones who stayed did so because they had the resiliency skills or found ways to set boundaries,” Badgley said. “We’ve seen more providers say, ‘I’m not working overtime. I’m taking care of myself.’ And that’s a shift.”
Legislative momentum: Still a work in progress
As a union leader representing EMS providers in one of the hardest-hit regions, Badgley understood the significance of the opportunity to speak with “Time”, but didn’t anticipate its lasting impact. “I knew people around the world would see it, but I underestimated how long that recognition would resonate,” she reflected. More than just a moment of visibility, the feature helped bring EMS into the national conversation, shedding light on the crucial yet often overlooked role paramedics and EMTs play — not just in crises, but every day. For Badgley, the experience reinforced her commitment to advocacy, ensuring that EMS providers are seen, heard and supported beyond the fleeting recognition of a global emergency.
Another silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased recognition of EMS. “Before COVID, I heard ‘ambulance driver’ way too often. Now, people say EMT or paramedic more. They understand that we’re part of the healthcare system,” Badgley noted.
That awareness has translated to legislative momentum. In New York, where Badgley works, the governor has included EMS initiatives in the executive budget for 4 years straight. But the fight for sustainable funding and recognition as an essential service continues.
“We’re still in the process of change,” Badgley emphasized. “But there’s more support now than ever before.”
A shift to advocacy
For Badgley, the pandemic solidified her sense of duty — not just to her patients but to the profession as a whole. “I’ve seen my perspective on where my service lies as expanding … and I feel very humbled by that and I take it very seriously,” she said. “Being a vehicle for change is not just good for providers. It’s good for the community we serve.”
In that spirit, Badgley co-founded the EMS Sustainability Alliance, an organization working toward long-term solutions for recruitment, retention and workforce well-being. “We’re still a young profession. That means we have an opportunity to shape it into what we want it to be,” she said.
Be kind to yourself
If she could share one message with today’s EMS workforce, Badgley said it would be this: “Take care of yourselves. It’s OK to not be OK. And if you see a colleague struggling, speak up. We are stronger together.”
Five years after the start of the pandemic, EMS providers are still feeling the aftershocks. But for those who remain, the fight for a better, more sustainable profession is far from over.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
