Deployed To NYC For Months, We Salute Patch Hero David Acker

EAST HAVEN, CT — When David Acker agreed to be deployed to New York City to help in its battle with the coronavirus, he signed on for two weeks. More than two months later, he’s still there, working with the New York City Fire Department. He hasn’t seen his girlfriend, beloved dog, friends or family — save for FaceTime. He cannot leave the city. And he wouldn’t until his job was done, anyway.

Acker is a dispatcher for American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance company and his particular skills were desperately needed in the city that never sleeps, even when under quarantine.

“His life takes a back seat to help others that are in need,” said his best friend, Jeffrey Errico. “He has an amazing heart.”

'More than a friend, he is my brother'

Errico and Acker have been friends for 25 years this summer. They met at Albertus Magnus where they played soccer. Acker is from West Haven and moved to East Haven. Errico is from Bridgeport and stayed in East Haven after graduating.

“He would literally would give you the shirt off his back to help,” Errico said. Acker is godfather to his son, CJ.

Acker has been working at AMR for 21 years. He started with the company at age 19 as a Chair Car Dispatcher, which is an entry-level role, and transported patients from a nursing home to a hospital, for example.

Acker’s father is David Acker Sr., a “phenomenal fire paramedic for West Haven and later in East Haven, showed him the leadership and introduced him and assisted him in the medical field as his years went on.”

Errico said that Acker moved up to the ranks and became a supervisor. His job is operations and oversight for daily 911 call volume and inter-facility transfers. But in New York City, his role is to be a liaison for FDNY dispatch, Errico said, “because they have a different computer system they are on and his has the ability to keep track of units and crew information they would not be able to attain.”

“In a sense, he is the heart of this disaster, he is making sure everyone who is working as a crew member gets home safe,” Errico said.

The deployment to New York City

On March 31, hundreds of AMR employees and ambulances were sent to New York City, which was the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis at the time.

Acker signed on.

“David always wanted to get involved in deployment,” he said. “He got his first call to head down to Florida when the major hurricane was supposed to hit last summer and spent one week there. When the deployment request came up for NYC, he didn't hesitate to jump and help.”

Errico said that based on what his friend has told him, “Once they get the call of deployment, he has about an hour or so to get everything ready that he would need, and he heads to the AMR office he works at and from there they are taken to their location of deployment.”

“That is the type of person he is,” Errico said.”If he has the knowledge and strength in a certain area he will use it whenever/however he can to help and that’s the main reason he has been in NYC for the past two months.”

Acker is not permitted to “leave the city at all when he is on deployment,” Errico said. “He’s there until his contract is up. It started out as a two-week contract, then extended another two weeks, then finally a full month, ending in May, but he still doesn't know if he will be done end of May or extended more.

Acker is not the only hero in the family

Errico said that his friend’s “love of his life” is his girlfriend Amy Ramos, his “rock,” and a paramedic/instructor with AMR in New Haven: “She’s worked there for 10 years side-by-side with him ever since.”

Ramos is herself a paramedic in New Haven, pulling all shifts, “days, nights, and sometime doubles,” Errico said.

“Basically as soon as she gets a 911 call they have 1 minute to respond or respond to any calls in the New Haven county area for mutual aid,” he said. “She also does critical care transports from hospital to hospital from the ICU to ICU.”

'Not a day goes by where he isn’t asking if everything is OK here even as we know what he is dealing with there.'

In addition to missing his girlfriend, family and best friend, Acker is also missing his other best friend, his Beagle/Pointer mix named Missy, whose been by his side for 15 years, Errico said.

“She has been there through everything with him and I know she misses him alot,” he said. “The only time he is able to see Amy, Missy, my godson, etc is via Facetime or if we send pics/videos to his text messenger.”

Errico reached out to Patch by nominating Acker as a Patch Hero.

But he’s a lot more.

“He is my best friend, and I am extremely proud of him being in NYC and helping down there in this time of need, complete selflessness,” Errico said. “All the while he is still taking care of his home life from there, making sure Amy, her mom who lives with them, and Missy have everything they need in his absence. Not a day goes by where he isn’t asking if everything is okay at the house even as we know what he is dealing with down there.”

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