A day in the life of an NYC real estate executive who volunteers as a paramedic and spends his nights working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic

Joey HaddenJun 6, 2020, 19:51 IST

Bryan Lapidus is a volunteer paramedic for New York's Central Park Medical Unit.Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Real estate executive Bryan Lapidus spends several nights a week driving an ambulance across New York City and caring for patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Lapidus started volunteering as an EMT 10 years ago and joined the Central Park Medical Unit three years ago.
Lapidus told Business Insider that in April when daily new cases in New York sometimes exceeded 7,000 he typically worked six-night shifts each week as a volunteer paramedic.
Here's how he balances his day job and his volunteer work, and what it's like to work an EMT shift in New York City amid the pandemic.

Bryan Lapidus went into real estate because he likes to interact with people and touch and feel the projects he is working on. By night, Lapidus is a volunteer emergency medical technician.

Lapidus starting volunteering as an EMT, or paramedic, 10 years ago, and he started volunteering in Central Park three years ago. Lapidus told Business Insider that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the call volume is drastically higher than he's ever experienced.

"It seems like once you clear a call, there's another one waiting for you," Lapidus said.

Lapidus said that in May, he decreased his number of shifts each week to four and then two, as the number of new daily cases in New York has decreased to less than 1,000 on most days.

Lapidus, who lives in Manhattan, hasn't seen his family in Long Island since early March. Here's what an average day during the pandemic is like for Lapidus.

Bryan Lapidus says he dreamed of being a paramedic since he was in grade school. He became one about 10 years ago.

Bryan Lapidus's fifth-grade yearbook. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

During the day, Lapidus is a real estate executive. He has been working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first thing Lapidus sees when he wakes up. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

After he gets out of bed, Lapidus hits the shower.

Lapidus starts his morning with a shower. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus typically skips breakfast and heads straight to work at his kitchen table, which is his work desk, complete with two monitors, a lamp, and a plug-and-play phone. He eats his meals on his living room table.

Lapidus's home office. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus typically skips breakfast and heads straight to work at his kitchen table, which is his work desk, complete with two monitors, a lamp, and a plug-and-play phone. He eats his meals on his living room table.

Lapidus spends his workday planning for construction on a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in Manhattan. This includes communicating with consultants and lots of paperwork.

Lapidus's desk. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus spends his workday planning for construction on a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in Manhattan. This includes communicating with consultants and lots of paperwork.

Every day, Bryan takes a break for lunch — unless he has a lunch meeting.

Lapidus's living room, where he spends his lunch breaks. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

The end of Lapidus's workday depends on when his EMT shift begins. Usually, it starts at 5 p.m., so he stops working at 4 p.m. to prepare.

Lapidus's bag of essentials for his paramedic shift. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Before he goes to work as a paramedic, Lapidus takes another shower. He might also listen to classic rock to mentally prepare for his shift.

Lapidus's second shower of the day. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

After his second shower of the day, Lapidus gets dressed. He decides what to wear under his uniform based on the weather.

Lapidus's uniform. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Then it's time to go. Lapidus drives to the ambulance in Central Park, which is about 20 minutes away from his apartment in Manhattan.

Lapidus takes his car to work each night. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus gets to the ambulance at 5 p.m., and the first thing he does is check to make sure that it is supplied with all the necessary medical equipment and that the vehicle itself is working properly.

The inside of the ambulance. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus gets to the ambulance at 5 p.m., and the first thing he does is check to make sure that it is supplied with all the necessary medical equipment and that the vehicle itself is working properly.

Some of the things Lapidus checks are the trauma bag ...

A trauma bag. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

... the Automatic External Defibrillator, which is used during cardiac arrest, ...

An AED. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

... and the oxygen bag, which is full of equipment used to assist patients who can't breathe. This could include coronavirus patients.

An oxygen bag with equipment used for providing a patient with oxygen. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Before the pandemic, Lapidus's shifts looked very different — he typically stayed near Central Park and took emergency calls regarding issues like allergic reactions, injuries, and asthma.

Lapidus is a volunteer paramedic. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Before the pandemic, Lapidus's shifts looked very different — he typically stayed near Central Park and took emergency calls regarding issues like allergic reactions, injuries, and asthma.

Now, Lapidus's calls are spread out all over the city, and he's lucky to get a chance to go to the bathroom in a hospital.

A hospital in Harlem, New York. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

When Lapidus and his partner get a call, they are given a cross-street location of the issue at hand.

Lapidus typically drives the ambulance. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

"Hospitals that I never really frequented became hospitals I went to every shift," Lapidus told Business Insider.

The ambulance in Times Square. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

When there is a suspected COVID-19 call, Lapidus has to gear up in goggles, a gown, gloves, and an N-95 mask.

Lapidus typically drives the ambulance. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Many of these calls come from apartments, so Lapidus has to make sure he has the right gear to transport patients up and downstairs to stabilize a patient upstairs.

Lapidus in his gear for a suspected COVID-19 call. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

After assessing the patient, Lapidus checks how much oxygen is in their blood with this pulse ox. This is a quick way to find out if a patient might have the coronavirus, he said.

A pulse ox. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

After assessing the patient, Lapidus checks how much oxygen is in their blood with this pulse ox. This is a quick way to find out if a patient might have the coronavirus, he said.

Lapidus's shift ends when he and his partner agree it's over. When it's busy close to end-time, Lapidus and his partner have to decide if they want to continue to take calls that would keep them out longer.

Lapidus drops off the ambulance in Central Park after his shifts. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Lapidus's shift ends when he and his partner agree it's over. When it's busy close to end-time, Lapidus and his partner have to decide if they want to continue to take calls that would keep them out longer.

After he drops off the ambulance in Central Park, Lapidus heads home for the night.

Lapidus driving home. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Once Lapidus gets home, he takes two steps inside of his apartment and strips, just in case he was exposed, to prevent the coronavirus from getting into his home.

Lapidus does laundry at the end of each shift. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

Then Lapidus begins washing his clothes and takes his final shower of the day.

Lapidus showers three times a day. Courtesy of Bryan Lapidus

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A day in the life of an NYC real estate executive who volunteers as a paramedic and spends his nights working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic

Bryan Lapidus says he dreamed of being a paramedic since he was in grade school. He became one about 10 years ago.

During the day, Lapidus is a real estate executive. He has been working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After he gets out of bed, Lapidus hits the shower.

Lapidus typically skips breakfast and heads straight to work at his kitchen table, which is his work desk, complete with two monitors, a lamp, and a plug-and-play phone. He eats his meals on his living room table.

Lapidus spends his workday planning for construction on a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in Manhattan. This includes communicating with consultants and lots of paperwork.

Every day, Bryan takes a break for lunch — unless he has a lunch meeting.

The end of Lapidus's workday depends on when his EMT shift begins. Usually, it starts at 5 p.m., so he stops working at 4 p.m. to prepare.

Before he goes to work as a paramedic, Lapidus takes another shower. He might also listen to classic rock to mentally prepare for his shift.

After his second shower of the day, Lapidus gets dressed. He decides what to wear under his uniform based on the weather.

Then it's time to go. Lapidus drives to the ambulance in Central Park, which is about 20 minutes away from his apartment in Manhattan.

Lapidus gets to the ambulance at 5 p.m., and the first thing he does is check to make sure that it is supplied with all the necessary medical equipment and that the vehicle itself is working properly.

Some of the things Lapidus checks are the trauma bag ...

... the Automatic External Defibrillator, which is used during cardiac arrest, ...

... and the oxygen bag, which is full of equipment used to assist patients who can't breathe. This could include coronavirus patients.

Before the pandemic, Lapidus's shifts looked very different — he typically stayed near Central Park and took emergency calls regarding issues like allergic reactions, injuries, and asthma.

Now, Lapidus's calls are spread out all over the city, and he's lucky to get a chance to go to the bathroom in a hospital.

When Lapidus and his partner get a call, they are given a cross-street location of the issue at hand.

"Hospitals that I never really frequented became hospitals I went to every shift," Lapidus told Business Insider.

When there is a suspected COVID-19 call, Lapidus has to gear up in goggles, a gown, gloves, and an N-95 mask.

Many of these calls come from apartments, so Lapidus has to make sure he has the right gear to transport patients up and downstairs to stabilize a patient upstairs.

After assessing the patient, Lapidus checks how much oxygen is in their blood with this pulse ox. This is a quick way to find out if a patient might have the coronavirus, he said.

Lapidus's shift ends when he and his partner agree it's over. When it's busy close to end-time, Lapidus and his partner have to decide if they want to continue to take calls that would keep them out longer.

After he drops off the ambulance in Central Park, Lapidus heads home for the night.

Once Lapidus gets home, he takes two steps inside of his apartment and strips, just in case he was exposed, to prevent the coronavirus from getting into his home.

Then Lapidus begins washing his clothes and takes his final shower of the day.