Greenport Fire Department Suspended From Carrying Narcotics on Ambulances

Greenport Fire Chief Albie de Kerillis confirmed last week that the department's rescue squad has lost its Advanced Life Support authorization after a New York State Department of Health inspection on March 9 found deficiencies in the department's Controlled Substance Plan, triggering a temporary suspension of its narcotics license.

The practical toll on ambulance capability is significant. The Greenport rescue squad can no longer administer medications, start intravenous lines, or perform advanced airway and cardiac procedures during emergency calls. "During this review, the Department was notified that its Controlled Substance Plan required updating and that the Department's narcotics license would be temporarily suspended," de Kerillis said. Controlled narcotics were removed from the ambulances and returned to a secure facility as required under the suspension.

For North Fork residents dialing 911, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital paramedics are absorbing that gap. Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services Commissioner Rudolph Sunderman confirmed that Stony Brook paramedics are providing ALS services in Greenport around the clock. Greenport's own crews retain their Basic Life Support authorization: EMTs can still perform CPR, rescue breathing, and deploy automated external defibrillators.

De Kerillis sought to reassure the community: "There has been no impact on emergency medical services provided to the community. More than 90 percent of the fire department's calls are Basic Life Support, and do not require a narcotics license." He added that the department is working to correct the deficiencies: "The Department is working closely with Suffolk County EMS, the New York State Department of Health, and its medical director to address the issue promptly and in full compliance."

The pressure is compounded by the department's workload. De Kerillis noted that Greenport's rescue squad is "a small, dedicated team of volunteer providers who responded to more than 1,200 calls last year with just 15 emergency medical personnel," including 933 rescue calls, the most of any department on the North Fork. The NYSDOH, which oversees EMS licensing statewide, has declined to detail the specific deficiencies publicly, citing the ongoing review.

The license suspension arrived as the department was already navigating internal disciplinary proceedings. Chiefs were notified in late October 2025 of a bylaw violation involving the unauthorized installation of a Ring camera in the truck bay at the firehouse at 311 Third Street; two members were subsequently suspended after a hearing the chief said resulted in a unanimous finding. Greenport Mayor Kevin Stuessi declined comment throughout, referring all questions to de Kerillis.

Before the narcotics license can be restored, the department must revise its written controlled substance plan, demonstrate updated record-keeping practices, and satisfy any additional conditions imposed by the state. Officials have been clear that the suspension stems from administrative failures, not criminal conduct. For a volunteer agency running nearly 1,000 rescue calls a year on skeleton staffing, the episode underscores the mounting compliance burden facing small departments across Suffolk County, where documentation and licensing demands rival the demands of the calls themselves.