In Suffolk County, where more than 600 emergency calls are handled by dedicated volunteer responders every day, Legislator Dominick Thorne has emerged as a tireless champion for those delivering care during the most critical moments.
A 27-year veteran of Emergency Medical Services, he is not only the chairman of the County Legislature’s Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services Preparedness Committee but also on the front lines, running calls with South Country Ambulance to this day.
“I’ve always believed that EMS is the third critical leg of emergency services—equal to fire and police,” said Thorne, who spearheaded the first-ever formal recognition of EMS Appreciation Week in Suffolk’s history. “Until now, no one in the county ever officially acknowledged the vital work of these professionals. That had to change.”
Thorne won passage of a landmark bill that permanently designates the third week of May as EMS Appreciation Week in Suffolk, aligning with the national observance created by President Gerald Ford in 1974. His resolution passed unanimously, with bipartisan support—a testament to both the urgency and unity behind the cause.
His push for recognition is personal. Thorne’s interest in emergency services began in grade school. He served with the Patchogue Ambulance, North Patchogue Fire Department, and now South Country. “I’ve seen every kind of emergency. And I’ve seen the way our volunteers give their time, their energy, and often their hearts to serve others. They deserve the county’s respect.”
But Thorne’s efforts go beyond symbolic recognition. This year, he successfully moved EMS oversight from the Department of Health to the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services—creating a unified emergency response team and expanding access to cross-training and advanced care techniques. “This restructuring puts EMS where it belongs,” Thorne said. “Now we can integrate training, increase readiness, and elevate the standard of care countywide.”
He’s also pushing for expanded public training and more funding in next year’s operating budget—investments that could make Suffolk County a statewide model for EMS preparedness. “We’re not just increasing training for EMTs,” Thorne explained. “We’re training the public—because a trained bystander can be the difference between life and death before EMS even arrives.”
The stakes are high. In 2023, Suffolk EMS crews responded to 172,000 calls. In 2024, that number skyrocketed to over 205,000, with 112 providers already credited for CPR saves in 2025.
“These are our neighbors—responding in the middle of the night, dealing with traumatic scenes, often as volunteers,” said Thorne. “They don’t do it for the recognition. They do it because they care. But that’s exactly why they deserve the recognition.”
Thorne also lauded the county’s hybrid EMS model—where full-time personnel work alongside volunteers—as a system that ensures rapid, expert response. “It’s a seamless network,” he said. “And with the latest medical advancements in the field—like defibrillators, advanced airway tools, and even cardiac drug therapy—our people are saving more lives than ever before.”
As for the future, Thorne says he’s just getting started. “We’ll keep building—better training, better equipment, better facilities. I want every resident in Suffolk to know that when you call 911, help is coming. It’s trained. It’s prepared. And it’s supported.”
For Suffolk’s thousands of EMS providers, Dominick Thorne is more than a legislator. He’s one of them—and their strongest voice in government.