In recognition of National EMS week, Lehigh caught up with Philip Sheibley ’81 ’19P, vice chair of the Lehigh University Board of Trustees, about being a certified EMT volunteer and captain of the New Canaan EMS squad in his hometown. Principal of Fiberight Investment Partners, a venture capital firm, Philip earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Lehigh.
Why did you get involved with the New Canaan EMS?
I had spent 20 years in life sciences (pharma, biotech, and medical products) and wanted to learn the medical side of healthcare out of interest. Also, I had several family members who needed urgent medical care and wanted to be personally knowledgeable in such an event. I joined New Canaan’s all volunteer EMS group in 2015 after getting certified as an EMT and was elected captain (chief) in 2018.
How many hours a week do you volunteer?
Our members have a minimum requirement of 12 hours per week (a 12-hour shift, either 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.), as well as 12 hours one weekend per month. In addition, we do continuing medical education two hours once a month. As captain, I also have a variety of other responsibilities overseeing operations. (I try not to add up all the hours!)
What was it like in New Canaan in the first weeks of the pandemic?
Everyone working in EMS was a bit panicked when the pandemic became apparent. I spent long days for the first month researching coronavirus, defining new protocols, trying to source personal protective equipment, and responding to questions and concerns. Along with the fire, police, and health departments, EMS supported the Emergency Operations Center with daily calls and coordination to make town-level decisions on what rules to put in place and how to communicate them to the residents.
What EMS protection and procedures have changed since the pandemic?
EMS quickly instituted procedures where the 911 center dispatchers will ask callers a series of questions to identify a potential COVID-19 risk, and the dispatchers will inform our responding crews. The crews have to be ready with N95 masks, eye protection, isolation gowns, etc., for any call that has a risk of exposure, and as time has gone on, they pretty much assume that for any call. In addition, a meticulous decontamination process for the ambulance, equipment used, etc., has to be employed, which means each call takes a crew out of service longer than it used to.
What is the volume of COVID-19-related calls the EMS are fielding?
As of mid-May, our town has had several hundred confirmed COVID-19 cases, with many of those individuals transported by our EMS crews to the hospital.
How has your Lehigh engineering education helped you with your EMS volunteer involvement?
I will ascribe some of our success (my success in managing our operations) to my training as an engineer — structured planning, execution, and performance assessment, as well as rapid problem solving were critical to the need. While I did not sign up expecting to be managing in a pandemic, I was glad to be there for it. And love of learning, which Lehigh instilled in me, was no doubt one of the drivers in my decision to learn about emergency medicine.
Thank you, Philip, and all EMTs who selflessly contribute to their communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.