FDNY EMS Notifies 10,000+ Patients of Possible Data Breach

More than 10,000 patients whom the FDNY EMS had previously treated and or transported that their personal information may have been compromised after an employee’s personal external hard drive was lost last March, according to officials.

The employee, who was authorized to access the records, uploaded the information onto their personal external device, which was subsequently reported missing, the FDNY said.

The 10,253 patients who were notified this week by mail of the data breach were all treated and or transported by EMS during the period from 2011 to 2018, according to the fire department.

In the letter sent to the patients who were possibly impacted in this potential breach, the FDNY says that it was notified March 4 that the employee’s personal portable hard drive was reported missing from an FDNY facility.

“FDNY immediately initiated an expansive investigation which took several months to determine whether any patient data was involved, and then to also identify each and every patient whose PHI was involved. Now that the investigation is complete, FDNY is contacting all individuals whose PHI was contained on the missing hard drive,” the letter reads in part.

In the notice sent, the FDNY says names, addresses, gender information, telephone numbers, dates of birth, insurance information number and health information related to the reason for the ambulance call may have been compromised given that when FDNY operates emergency ambulances in the New York City 911 System.

There is currently no evidence that any of the information stored on the personal device has been accessed, according to the FDNY. However, the FDNY is treating the incident as if the information may have been seen by an unauthorized person.

Additionally, the FDNY says that 3,000 patients who may have had their social security numbers compromised are being offered free credit monitoring.

The FDNY urges patients to call (877) 213 -1732 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. with questions about the breach or if they think their personal information was compromised.

Photo Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

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