"How long will our unit be Out Of Service?" - Brick Medic Syd. . "Y'all need new brake pads & rotors, so...about 9 days!" - Fleet Technician Phil. . . #fleetservices #fleetmechanic #fleettechnician #ambulancetechnician #legoambulance #lego911 #brickmedics #legomedics #medicbubbles #medicsyd #emslife #emslives #emshumor #emsshenanigans #emslifestyle #emstruth #oos #sramonth #sra #sirenfluid #levelzero @level_zero_ems @somegirlyoumet @steel_driven
Fighting for safety, parity, and Justice. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
1199SEIU, 2507, 3621, IAEP, CSEA are our unions! www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Thank you to all the members from numerous agencies and unions that participated in today's rally at City Hall in support of greater protection and safety measures for all EMS professionals. Thank you as well to the many City Council members who took the time to listen to our issues and grievances. @1199SEIU @3621 @justin.brannan (43) @sandyforcouncil21 (37) @cmarikagan (47) @galeabrewer (6) @cmchiosse (36) @cmfarahlouis (45) @tiffany_caban (22l @cmsandraung (20) @cmamandafarias (18) @shahanafrombk (39) @lynn4nyc (29) cmjuliewon (26) @joeborellinyc (51) @adriennetoyou (28) www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Thank you to all the members from numerous agencies and unions that participated in today's rally at City Hall in support of greater protection and safety measures for all EMS professionals. Thank you as well to the many City Council members who took the time to listen to our issues and grievances. @1199SEIU @3621 @justin.brannan @sandyforcouncil21 @cmarikagan @galeabrewer @betty.escobar_nycouncil.31 @cmchiosse @cmfarahlouis @tiffany_caban @cmsandraung @cmamandafarias www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
An attack on any EMS worker is an attack on all us. Stand behind you unions. Stand behind the movement for Parity and Justice. Stay strong our people need us united. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #3621 #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #1199 #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Last night, the EMS call volume was above 5570. One of our EMS members was stabbed multiple times last week as she was caring for a patient. This is unfortunately not an isolated tragic occurrence. In the past years, our EMTs and Paramedics have been shot by patients. Mauled by patients. Badly beaten. Spit on. Maimed. FDNY EMS Captain Alison Russo was stabbed to death last September. The physical attacks on the ambulance service are a national phenomenon linked to mental illness as well as the hysterical state of many patients or family members interacting with our crews. EMSPAC and 1199SEIU are asking for a total mobilization on Thursday August 3rd of all EMS, Healthcare workers, and all those in the public that rely on the ambulance service to form picket lines on all approaches to City Hall on Thursday August 3rd. We ask all our friends and colleagues to show unity, discipline, and solidarity to impress on the City Council the need for policy level protections of our ambulance workers. Our EMTs and Paramedics are continually exposed to grief and trauma. We ask you all to spread the word and involve your trade unions, fraternal associations, professional associations, and friends in the battle to achieve Jusitice, Parity, and Security for EMS Professionals. The assembly point is City Hall Park Fountain at 11 am. We will form the picket lines on the Northern and Eastern approaches to the City Hall. The Council will be in Session at 130pm. The assembly point is City Hall Park Fountain at 11 am. We will form the picket lines on the Northern and Eastern approaches to the City Hall. The Council will be in Session at 130pm.
WHAT —- A rally at City Hall to raise awareness about ongoing assaults on EMS and showcase our unity no matter what agency or sector. WHERE Meet at City Hall Park Fountain, form picket lines on the Eastern (Centre Street/ Bk Bridge) side of the park by noon. WHEN —- Thursday August 3rd, 2023 11:00AM-3:00PM. WHY IT MATTERS… —- There is a clear disconnect in how hard our ambulance services are being hit every day and how the politicians and the general public view it or address it. 5000+ calls per DAY. Daily assaults on EMS. Monthly suicides. It seems like the City, the Hospitals, and the private companies have no plan at all; at least not one that speaks to all 15,500 NYC EMS or 1 million American EMS. It seems like we’ve been forgotten yet again. The underlying issue is that in an EMS system with a call volume of over 5,000 per day, EMS members are still being murdered, shot, assaulted, and abused. If, and more likely when it happens, nothing is being done about it. No prophylactic measures get taken. No real policy changes trickle down. No one is doing anything about it besides passing blame to the EMS crews involved and compounding the blow by passing down harsh disciplinary actions like restriction or suspension for self-defense. The Police need to respond to back up EMS faster and agency management needs to stop making premature disciplinary decisions and the “blame game” based on any patient’s accusation. The optics are terrible, and it destroys our trust in the general population. If the situation does not improve and if the politicians do not form coherent policy around our assaults, mental health, working conditions, and daily hazards this will lead to another collapse of our ability to get New Yorkers into ambulances in a timely manner. @nj.panjems @iaeplocal20 @seiu_org @nycpba @fdny_ufa @cseany1000 @nagelocal510 @pamcakebremkfest @skell_city @6inchesattheteeth
WHAT —- A rally at City Hall to raise awareness about ongoing assaults on EMS and showcase our unity no matter what agency or sector. WHERE Meet at City Hall Park Fountain, form picket lines on the Eastern (Centre Street/ Bk Bridge) side of the park by noon. WHEN —- Thursday August 3rd, 2023 11:00AM-3:00PM. WHY IT MATTERS… —- There is a clear disconnect in how hard our ambulance services are being hit every day and how the politicians and the general public view it or address it. 5000+ calls per DAY. Daily assaults on EMS. Monthly suicides. It seems like the City, the Hospitals, and the private companies have no plan at all; at least not one that speaks to all 15,500 NYC EMS or 1 million American EMS. It seems like we’ve been forgotten yet again. The underlying issue is that in an EMS system with a call volume of over 5,000 per day, EMS members are still being murdered, shot, assaulted, and abused. If, and more likely when it happens, nothing is being done about it. No prophylactic measures get taken. No real policy changes trickle down. No one is doing anything about it besides passing blame to the EMS crews involved and compounding the blow by passing down harsh disciplinary actions like restriction or suspension for self-defense. The Police need to respond to back up EMS faster and agency management needs to stop making premature disciplinary decisions and the “blame game” based on any patient’s accusation. The optics are terrible, and it destroys our trust in the general population. If the situation does not improve and if the politicians do not form coherent policy around our assaults, mental health, working conditions, and daily hazards this will lead to another collapse of our ability to get New Yorkers into ambulances in a timely manner. @ericadamsfornyc @justin.brannan @joeborellinyc @sandyforcouncil21
WHAT —- A rally at City Hall to raise awareness about ongoing assaults on EMS and showcase our unity no matter what agency or sector. WHERE Meet at City Hall Park Fountain, form picket lines on the Eastern (Centre Street/ Bk Bridge) side of the park by noon. WHEN —- Thursday August 3rd, 2023 11:00AM-3:00PM. WHY IT MATTERS… —- There is a clear disconnect in how hard our ambulance services are being hit every day and how the politicians and the general public view it or address it. 5000+ calls per DAY. Daily assaults on EMS. Monthly suicides. It seems like the City, the Hospitals, and the private companies have no plan at all; at least not one that speaks to all 15,500 NYC EMS or 1 million American EMS. It seems like we’ve been forgotten yet again. The underlying issue is that in an EMS system with a call volume of over 5,000 per day, EMS members are still being murdered, shot, assaulted, and abused. If, and more likely when it happens, nothing is being done about it. No prophylactic measures get taken. No real policy changes trickle down. No one is doing anything about it besides passing blame to the EMS crews involved and compounding the blow by passing down harsh disciplinary actions like restriction or suspension for self-defense. The Police need to respond to back up EMS faster and agency management needs to stop making premature disciplinary decisions and the “blame game” based on any patient’s accusation. The optics are terrible, and it destroys our trust in the general population. If the situation does not improve and if the politicians do not form coherent policy around our assaults, mental health, working conditions, and daily hazards this will lead to another collapse of our ability to get New Yorkers into ambulances in a timely manner. @ericadamsfornyc @justin.brannan @joeborellinyc @nycspeakeradams
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
EMS Baseball Season Continues. Maimonides 2 for 0. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Boro park BREAKING: Emergency services are on the scene for a male shot on McDonald Avenue & Ditmas Avenue. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
The city provides some support services to members, though one worker said these are not enough. The FDNY partially funds the Counseling Support Unit, a volunteer corps of rank-and-file and retired FDNY personnel trained to drop into stations to talk to workers, their families, and others who need it any time of the day, any day of the week. During the pandemic, the FDNY stepped up its efforts, training and dispatching 90 EMS members to stations across the city, as part of a strategic response to aid workers at the COVID frontlines. According to the FDNY, each volunteer averages 100 visits a month, providing support for 1,200 people on a monthly basis. Data from January 2021 through June 2022, the most recent information provided by the FDNY, says that counseling volunteers met with 18,332 people, which includes EMS, fire and civilian workers and retirees and their families. Though the Counseling Support Unit continues to operate, the increased visits provided during the pandemic were never meant to be permanent. EMS workers say visits are now fewer and farther between — and they are feeling the absence. Nicole, the Brooklyn paramedic, could not recall the last time a counseling volunteer visited her station. Another paramedic at the same station, who declined to be named out of fear of retaliation from the FDNY, said he called the support hotline and never heard back. It is widely believed the CSU prioritizes firefighters and engaging with it will hurt one's career. @voteshekar @juliewon @nantastiic @adriennetoyou @ericadamsfornyc @aoc @lynn4nyc @cmselvenabrookspowers @lincolnforcouncil @chudchud
Angie Alburquerque, a paramedic who lives and works in Brooklyn, said that in her 14 years in the department, she’s never seen morale as low as it is now. Alburquerque, 32, works three additional jobs and as much overtime as she can pack into her schedule to afford to rent her one-bedroom apartment and take the occasional vacation. She loves being a paramedic, even with her backbreaking schedule, she said. But after many years of watching her colleagues struggle with bills, housing, broken marriages, alcoholism and depression, she believes the department is due for a complete overhaul. “We’re overworked and underpaid. Like if the paycheck was worth it, we’d go home and we didn’t have to think about where we’re gonna get our next meal or how we’re going to pay our rent or I have to miss paying this bill because this was more important,” said Alburquerque, a member of FDNY EMS Local 2507, which represents paramedics and EMTs. “You know, like, if we had that option. I think our stress level would be lower.” @erikbottchercitycouncil @julmenin @galeabrewer @yegerforbrooklyn @farahnlouis @mercedesnarcisse @cmarikagan
Now, long-standing strains over staffing levels could be compounded if the City Council approves a proposed one-time exception that will make it easier for hundreds of emergency medical services (EMS) workers to become higher-paid firefighters: The EMS workforce could be further weakened. In a statement to THE CITY, a Fire Department spokesperson acknowledged that the city struggles to recruit and retain EMS workers, reflecting a national trend, even as the service’s vacancy rate currently sits at 1%, according to data from the city Comptroller. “Our staffing level is a moving number across the board, but we are always hiring,” said spokesperson Amanda Farinacci. “Recruitment and retention of EMTs and paramedics is a struggle nationally, and the FDNY and New York City are not alone in dealing with this issue.” @nycmayor @justin.brannan
The First Responders Left Behind In New York’s Healthcare Worker Revolt EMTs and paramedics are suing for better pay, as they hold multiple jobs to make ends meet. BY CLAUDIA IRIZARRY APONTE [email protected] JUL 6, 2023, 5:00AM EDT ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KATIE HONAN AND SUHAIL BHAT The pandemic ushered in a reckoning among New York’s healthcare workers: Just this year nurses struck and won raises and better staffing standards, and trainee doctors, who are stepping up union organizing efforts, walked off the job for the first time in 30 years. But one segment of New York’s frontline medical workforce has continued to fight the same battles for equity and better pay for more than 20 years. The emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who provide New York’s emergency medical services remain in a state of emergency, because they receive the lowest pay among first responders and face unrelenting job demands, according to workers and union leaders. As public workers, they are forbidden by law from going on strike. They take on additional jobs — moonlighting as CPR instructors, Uber drivers and supermarket cashiers — to supplement their income. Alcoholism and other substance abuse are common. And workers routinely put in 10 to 20 hours of overtime a week — either to boost their meager pay, which starts at the equivalent of $18.94 an hour — or because they are called on to supplement staffing at emergency services stations that have a high volume of calls.
https://gofund.me/a5cec100 In order for us to establish the proper Pro EMS Worker First lobbying efforts, we need your help. We are raising the money for filing costs, a new website, and some lobbying materials. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Happy 4th! www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
If you can master the serpentine, the break wall, the immaculate reversal, the simulator. Then you are ready for a job that pays $35 start pay to EMTs. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Hey all we need Third Service Articles for issue 12. Deadline is July 15th. Please send them to [email protected] Anything EMS related, art, photo, attempts to trigger your peers. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
When you're unconvinced that hope, prayer, and talking shit for 40 years have adequately advanced the way you pay your rent: try organizing. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
EMSPAC 501C4 LAUNCH BBQ, Sunday July 2nd 4pm in Bayridge. Come out, any contribution you can make is appreciated to launch the new lobbying arm of our movement. Please DM if you're interested in being a district mobilzer or want to make inputs on our EMS policy Briefs. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
A round for FDNY EMS 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, NYU, Northwell, SCEMS MSBI, NYP EMS, Sinai, all EMS agencies WELCOME, all-inclusive. Come out for Drinks with your fellow EMS MOS of Division 1 ( + 6, + all welcome). Meet up at Mckennas at 2000. If you're on duty, whatever you do! Do not take facilities along the bar trail. 😉 Because most of the people working in Manhattan aren't allowed to do that anyway, we should be good. If you're off, drop on in for some food and drink. This is not a union meeting. DM for information about the EMS Assaults Awareness event right before the carnage begins at 8pm. This event is on a Saturday night. "This is not a union meeting." www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
White Pants Mafia out protecting the Pride festivities! NYP Pride! White Pants Pride!
Campion pushed back. “The parties agreed to support the creation of this title almost two years ago and despite the City agreeing to use the salary they proposed, the union refused to move forward,” the labor commissioner said in a text message Tuesday. “The City will not further delay the creation of this important title due to unrelated other issues which should be discussed separately, but remains available to bargain over the salary and savings from this new title.” Unions split on bargaining But Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507 that represents EMTs, paramedics and fire inspectors, said he’s happy to negotiate for a new contract, and has been trying to get DC 37 to send in bargaining requests to Campion’s office for several months. “Our people need to see a raise,” Barzilay said Monday. “I don’t want [the dispute over a new position] to hold us back from negotiating at the bargaining table and getting our members their money.” Before he can negotiate a new contract, though, Barzilay needs approval from his parent union, DC37, a sanction he’s been seeking since early April when the Police Benevolent Association reached a tentative agreement with the city. His initial request was rebuffed by DC37, Barzilay said, but the union leader filed another appeal last week, which DC37 accepted. He said he expected to begin discussions on bargaining priorities soon. But Local 2507 and Local 3621 are in the same bargaining unit and together negotiate with the city for a unified contract covering both their memberships. Even if Barzilay wants to negotiate with the city, he could be hindered by Variale’s ongoing dispute with the city’s labor officials. Barzilay, though, doesn’t intend to meet with OLR on a new deal until that dispute is resolved. “The city hasn’t finished negotiating our old contract so how can we get a new one?” he said.
Not supposed to work this way’ And after two months of delay, the two sides held another, equally unproductive, meeting in April that ended, according to Variale, with the city telling the union that it would unilaterally move forward with creating the new position, despite the lack of a final agreement with the union. In May, the city opened applications for an August 23 promotional exam to the “Sergeant-EMS,” position, a title the city is also labeling “Supervising Emergency Medical Service Specialist.” “It’s not supposed to work this way,” Variale said. “This violates New York State civil service law, it violates our contract and it’s bad faith bargaining.” What’s adding to his frustration, Variale said, is that the position will pay $15,000 less than the EMS lieutenant position already in place, which he argued has a similar job description to that for the new sergeant title. Variale said he plans to file a grievance with the Office of Collective Bargaining. He would like an arbitrator to step in to resolve the dispute but said he is also considering litigation.
When Mayor Eric Adams stood alongside the presidents of 11 unions representing most of the city’s uniformed employees last week to announce a tentative contract covering 32,000 workers, he said the agreement proved his administration was “supporting the working people who keep our city safe and clean.” But notably absent from the June 15 announcement at City Hall was the leadership of two DC 37 locals representing the FDNY EMTs, paramedics, fire inspectors and EMS officers. Negotiations between the city and the two locals which together represent around 4,500 uniformed civil servants haven’t even begun, Renee Campion, commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations, said at last week’s announcement. “They haven’t put in a request to bargain yet for the new round of bargaining,” Campion later told The Chief. Vincent Variale, the president of DC 37 Local 3621, which represents EMS Officers, said the two unions haven’t put in a request to bargain because they never reached a deal with the city over outstanding provisions in their last contract, voted on by membership in 2021. “It’s hard to move forward to get a new contract when you haven’t resolved issues from the last contract yet,” he said. Variale told The Chief that what’s at issue is a side letter attached to that contract outlining the creation of a new position titled “Sergeant-EMS.” He said the details of the position, including pay and job responsibilities, would be finalized at future negotiating sessions. But representatives from Local 3621 didn’t meet with OLR officials to discuss those terms until January of this year, more than six months after that contract expired.
EMSPAC 501C4 LAUNCH BBQ, Sunday July 2nd 4pm in Bayridge. Come out, any contribution you can make is appreciated to launch the new lobbying arm of our movement. Please DM if you're interested in being a district mobilzer or want to make inputs on our policy Briefs. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Hardship Help? Protocol questions? Press inquiries? Boss, man, on your back? We are just a call away. Just page your advocate from EMSPAC. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC If you think you understand what this map is dm and apply to our I&I Team.
The more supervision the better, am I right? EMSPAC has only two ranks and look how much trouble we are always in because of people's feelings! The FDNY has a plan to supervise you all the way from the bathroom to dying at the wheel because you can never afford to retire. Note: this is a parody.
Sunday July 2nd 4pm we are having a BBQ in Bayridge to raise money for the new EMSPAC 501c4. The existing EMSPAC in case you thought it was all a meme page is a 501c3 charity that responds to upwards of 200 EMS Hardships a year, has 63 peer mentors on platoon, and moves over 100K in gofunds to EMS in need. Unfortunately, we also need to endorse candidates, move votes around in bloc, and get policies read. So this is stage 2. Family friendly as usual, we also have a Kosher grill. Please come out and make any contribution you can for the second round of EMSPAC.
Come join us for a July 2nd BBQ to raise money for the new EMSPAC 501c4, time to open the second front. Family friendly, Kosher grill. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Have you enlisted in the new airborne division? www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
“EMS first responders work in the same conditions and perform at least as rigorous work and require at least as much training and effort, with at least as much regular hazards, if not more than, fire first responders,” the lawsuit said. “Yet it is [the city’s] policy and practice to compensate the EMS first responders substantially less than their almost exclusively male and overwhelmingly white counterparts on the fire side of the FDNY,” the suit said. “The injustice of pay inequity in the FDNY was not created by the current mayor or the current fire commissioner,” said Vincent Variale, president of Local 3621, which represents EMS lieutenants and captains. “But it is their moral and legal obligation to end it. Thanks to the work of the EEOC they have the opportunity to put this dark chapter of the FDNY behind us.” Oren Barzilay, head of Local 2507, which represents rank-and-file EMTs and paramedics, called the EEOC decision “a historic moment for New York City’s emergency medical service members.” An FDNY spokesman could not comment on the lawsuit, citing the ongoing litigation. “The FDNY is committed to fair and equitable pay practices. The case is under review,” a Law Department spokesman said in a statement. When pay disparity issues are raised, the FDNY says they’re not to blame and any pay increases are hashed out by the city and union negotiators at the bargaining table. “I personally believe that they are not compensated as they should,” former Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told a City Council committee in 2021 when asked why EMS isn’t receiving better wages. “But we don’t control the process.” When she was the FDNY first deputy commissioner, current FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh was involved in the EMS union’s 2021 contract negotiations, which led to a salary increase for EMS employees, including a 6% bump for all EMTs and paramedics who agreed to be trained to respond to mental health calls.
The pay gaps between the two groups continue to this day, even though the EEOC determined that EMTs and paramedics work just as hard as their firefighting counterparts, something that was made abundantly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The investigation showed that workloads, working conditions, training, and risks to EMS first responders and firefighters are comparable, with a substantial degree of overlapping duties, especially with respect to medical emergencies,” according to the EEOC decision, which was completed after a two-year investigation. “The evidence further shows the two groups have comparable accountability and responsibility.” Despite their interlocking duties with the firefighters, city EMTs and paramedics weren’t considered uniformed personnel until a 2001 City Council law was passed. The Council further intervened in 2020, passing a resolution calling for EMS to be paid the same as firefighters, but the city has failed to take action, the EEOC decision noted. Entry-level EMTs are paid a base salary of $39,386, according to the lawsuit. Within five years, their pay increases to $59,534. City firefighters start their careers with a salary of $43,904 that goes up to $85,292 after five years. The pay gaps continue throughout the EMS member’s career. EMS chiefs and commanders earn $135,053 a year while their counterparts on the fire side “who perform substantially equal work in skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions” make $235,000 a year. While the city’s firefighter force is mostly made up of white men, EMS is mostly people of color and has many women, causing a racial and gender disparity, the lawsuit added.
“EMS first responders work in the same conditions and perform at least as rigorous work and require at least as much training and effort, with at least as much regular hazards, if not more than, fire first responders,” the lawsuit said. “Yet it is [the city’s] policy and practice to compensate the EMS first responders substantially less than their almost exclusively male and overwhelmingly white counterparts on the fire side of the FDNY,” the suit said. “The injustice of pay inequity in the FDNY was not created by the current mayor or the current fire commissioner,” said Vincent Variale, president of Local 3621, which represents EMS lieutenants and captains. “But it is their moral and legal obligation to end it. Thanks to the work of the EEOC they have the opportunity to put this dark chapter of the FDNY behind us.” Oren Barzilay, head of Local 2507, which represents rank-and-file EMTs and paramedics, called the EEOC decision “a historic moment for New York City’s emergency medical service members.” An FDNY spokesman could not comment on the lawsuit, citing the ongoing litigation. “The FDNY is committed to fair and equitable pay practices. The case is under review,” a Law Department spokesman said in a statement. When pay disparity issues are raised, the FDNY says they’re not to blame and any pay increases are hashed out by the city and union negotiators at the bargaining table. “I personally believe that they are not compensated as they should,” former Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told a City Council committee in 2021 when asked why EMS isn’t receiving better wages. “But we don’t control the process.” When she was the FDNY first deputy commissioner, current FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh was involved in the EMS union’s 2021 contract negotiations, which led to a salary increase for EMS employees, including a 6% bump for all EMTs and paramedics who agreed to be trained to respond to mental health calls.
The pay gaps between the two groups continue to this day, even though the EEOC determined that EMTs and paramedics work just as hard as their firefighting counterparts, something that was made abundantly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The investigation showed that workloads, working conditions, training, and risks to EMS first responders and firefighters are comparable, with a substantial degree of overlapping duties, especially with respect to medical emergencies,” according to the EEOC decision, which was completed after a two-year investigation. “The evidence further shows the two groups have comparable accountability and responsibility.” Despite their interlocking duties with the firefighters, city EMTs and paramedics weren’t considered uniformed personnel until a 2001 City Council law was passed. The Council further intervened in 2020, passing a resolution calling for EMS to be paid the same as firefighters, but the city has failed to take action, the EEOC decision noted. Entry-level EMTs are paid a base salary of $39,386, according to the lawsuit. Within five years, their pay increases to $59,534. City firefighters start their careers with a salary of $43,904 that goes up to $85,292 after five years. The pay gaps continue throughout the EMS member’s career. EMS chiefs and commanders earn $135,053 a year while their counterparts on the fire side “who perform substantially equal work in skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions” make $235,000 a year. While the city’s firefighter force is mostly made up of white men, EMS is mostly people of color and has many women, causing a racial and gender disparity, the lawsuit added.
The feds recommended in December 2021 that the city “reach a just resolution of this matter” and opened the door for a potential lawsuit if the city “declined to enter into conciliation discussions.” With no further movement on the issue, EMS unions stepped through that door on Dec. 7 with the class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal court seeking to correct the pay disparity. Citing the EEOC report, the 57-page suit argues that the city “suppressed the salaries of EMS First Responders despite the fact that they perform work that is substantially equal in the required skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions as their fire side colleagues.” As a result, EMTs and paramedics have suffered a “loss of wages, salaries and benefits, as well as emotional hardship and mental anguish,” the lawsuit notes. EMS employees have been historically underpaid compared to FDNY firefighters and other first responders since merging with the department in 1996.
Quick! Send in wholesome EMS fathersday photos before we trigger someone with more unscripted content! www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
The stab that went out at 14th st and union square was taken up by 06J3 initially who made first contact then 06D3 backed us up 06W3 came in the back of the bus when we extricated from the subway overall smooth job by everyone Including pd.
This event will be in Bayridge on Sunday, July 2nd, at 1600. Please rsvp if you can. We are asking everyone to bring a small check or even better an envelope of unmarked bills to cover the filing costs of the new 501c4, the new lobbying arm for emspac. There will be a Kosher grill. Ties are purely optional. Please kick in or ask how to enroll in our new lobbying operation, the EMS Poltical Action Committee. If you like what we do with Hardship Help, just wait and see what we have in mind for Poltical Action. Up the EMSPAC, UP the EMS Vote Bloc! 🗳 Thank you to all our members and supporters as we continue to ensure the EMS issue is impossible to ignore.
"It's not enough to be part 800 anymore. You have to also have fabulous hair. Or you're gonna get an NOI."
A note for the people coming for the fish Friday at EMS ZONE, the place is inside the Haitian restaurant. The chefs serve both American food along with Haitian food. We highly recommend the griot and boulette. There's gonna be upcoming EMS open mic, Kareoke, live msuic, live DJs, and West Indian tunes. Come out and support the only EMS Restaurant in NYC brought to you by EMS MOS from FDNY EMS and SCEMS!
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Lets all see what we can do for this EMS couple working Citywide. The day she brought her new born home is the same day her building on fire. Please contribute what you can.On June 11, 2023, a five-alarm fire broke out on the 6th floor of Juliza's building. Juliza had just been discharged after giving birth to her newborn. She wasn't able to retrieve any of her belongings as she had just got discharged when the fire broke out. The Fire Department has notified all tenants that the building is no longer suitable to live in, leaving Juliza and her boys homeless. Most of Juliza’s belongings were damaged from the water and smoke. We ask for contributions to help the Mendez family in their time of need, any penny helps! They are also accepting donations such as baby clothes etc. Juliza and Waldy would like to thank all of you in advance for any contribution. SPANISH El día 11 de junio del presente año se produjo un incendio de (5) alarmas en el 6to piso en el cual residia Juliza Mendez, a la cual le acababan de dar el alta luego de haber dado a luz a su bebe. Juliza Mendez no pudo recuperar ninguna de sus pertenencias debido a que apenas había salido del hospital cuando empezó el incendio. El departamento de Bomberos emitió una notificación a todos los inquilinos del edificio avisando de que el mismo ya no es apto para vivir, dejando así a Juliza y a sus hijos sin hogar. Todas las pertenencias de Juliza y sus hijos resultaron dañadas a causa del incendio. Es por esto que pedimos su colaboración para la familia Mendez en este momento tan difícil para ellos. Cualquier aportación seria de ayuda!. También están aceptando donaciones de ropa y artículos para bebe ya que todo lo que tenía Juliza para su recién nacido resultó dañado a causa del incendio. Juliza y Waldy quisieran agradecerles a todos de antemano por cualquier contribución. https://gofund.me/c8f3395f
If you are interested in learning about being a peer mentor, press officer, advocate, or deputy, please dm. Note: specifically seeking more Sinai Advocates and Deputes for Central West and North East organizing zones. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
"I OFTEN MAKE THE ARGUEMENT, we are not asking for pay parity because we "save lives", perform critical medical skills in uncontrolled environments, and happen to often wear blue. We should be paid like police and fire because we are an essential part of a wildly lucrative chain of profiteering off sickness and trauma. We are exposed to incredible psychological trauma, work 80-hour weeks, and happen to make people billions. The management here has sold us on a wild kool-aid called CALLING. It's not a calling. We are not Jedhi. It's a job. It's a dangerous and important job that most people quit after 3 or 4 years. To keep us in this service, they need to make this a career, not a "calling." We are not different. We are exceptional. And to get parity, we have to get this red-headed step child bullshit out the goddamn vocabulary."
Join BSVAC and REMSCO for a discussion on stress in EMS.
Happy Pride Month!
Happy Pride Month to our LGBTQIA+ EMS MOS! www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
Baramedic? www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
2507 President Oren Barzilay OpEd in Daily News: "EMS members are frequently put in harm’s way, with the number of assaults more than doubling between 2018 and 2021. Forced into overcrowded and ramshackle worksites, significant stress of the job, coupled with a corresponding lack of support or proper mental health services, has resulted in record numbers of paramedics dying by suicide." New York’s is undoubtedly the busiest Emergency Medical Service in the world and yet our EMTs and paramedics are horribly underpaid. To put it more bluntly, FDNY EMS members are fed up with being treated like crap by city leaders. Despite their pivotal role administering urgent medical care and safely transporting patients to hospitals, EMTs and paramedics are continually being starved of resources. It’s a saga as old as the merger of FDNY with EMS, which took place on March 17, 1996. Promises made then were never upheld.In that merger, EMS was promised new stationhouses and more of them, but decades later most of the locations we have are falling apart and jammed with multiple EMS units. As recently as 2017, after seeing the overcrowded EMS worksites, even Mayor Bill de Blasio promised a fix. Years later, we are still waiting. When an FDNY building is deemed too old and dilapidated for firefighting needs, like the little sister or brother, we get the hand-me-downs. It is a nightmare for members. Barzilay is the president of FDNY EMS Local 2507, representing New York’s 4,000 uniformed EMTs, paramedics & fire inspectors.
Joint Statement of the EMSPAC Steering Committee, April 30th, 2023 Every single death lowers our consciousness and changes us in some way. If an EMT or Paramedic suffers alone in silence and then dies, was there to anyone to hear about it? Write about it? Gather up their friends for a memorial or a debriefing? It was as if it didn’t happen at all, except for the people closest to them. The unique passing of one EMT or Paramedic has long been an isolated trauma out of sight and mind, at best-managed station by station, the business of an agency or two alone. As we have been mistreated in our daily ongoing careers: so we are also forgotten about in death. Except for the FDNY, the monthly ritual is the same. Gather the family and partners, cobble together the burial money, and then head to a bar. The memories of some chiseled on lonely stone, the vast majority never counted. We suspect that were one to draw hundreds of people together from any given field, in order to support one another we’d end up learning too much about the darkness of the human condition. Dissociation is where we separate ourselves from the patients and calls, in order to keep ourselves sane. We are not well, though. Where death becomes a normal activity, we are made to not feel. Where things that are not funny to civilians at all, became funny to us. Yadira was murdered by a lunatic who commandeered her ambulance and ran her over with it. Captain Russo was stabbed to death by an EDP. McMahon was shot in his truck by a patient. An FDNY sister had her face bitten and mauled. Every single day there is an attack on our members. Every single month an EMT or Paramedic takes their own life. The narrative about vests, de-escalation, and jiu-jitsu doesn't capture the real issues. The nature of the job is dangerous and unpredictable. The slow death of EMS, the inglorious death from cumulative stress, or taking one's own life is the product of long hours, low pay, and how we feel about ourselves as a service. There are simply not enough resources to meet the EMS need for debriefing and counseling.
Joint Statement of the EMSPAC Steering Committee, April 30th, 2023 Every single death lowers our consciousness and changes us in some way. If an EMT or Paramedic suffers alone in silence and then dies, was there to anyone to hear about it? Write about it? Gather up their friends for a memorial or a debriefing? It was as if it didn’t happen at all, except for the people closest to them. The unique passing of one EMT or Paramedic has long been an isolated trauma out of sight and mind, at best-managed station by station, the business of an agency or two alone. As we have been mistreated in our daily ongoing careers: so we are also forgotten about in death. Except for the FDNY, the monthly ritual is the same. Gather the family and partners, cobble together the burial money, and then head to a bar. The memories of some chiseled on lonely stone, the vast majority never counted. We suspect that were one to draw hundreds of people together from any given field, in order to support one another we’d end up learning too much about the darkness of the human condition. Dissociation is where we separate ourselves from the patients and calls, in order to keep ourselves sane. We are not well, though. Where death becomes a normal activity, we are made to not feel. Where things that are not funny to civilians at all, became funny to us. Yadira was murdered by a lunatic who commandeered her ambulance and ran her over with it. Captain Russo was stabbed to death by an EDP. McMahon was shot in his truck by a patient. An FDNY sister had her face bitten and mauled. Every single day there is an attack on our members. Every single month an EMT or Paramedic takes their own life. The narrative about vests, de-escalation, and jiu-jitsu doesn't capture the real issues. The nature of the job is dangerous and unpredictable. The slow death of EMS, the inglorious death from cumulative stress, or taking one's own life is the product of long hours, low pay, and how we feel about ourselves as a service. There are simply not enough resources to meet the EMS need for debriefing and counseling.
Joint Statement of the EMSPAC Steering Committee, April 30th, 2023 Fellow EMTs and Paramedics, We have been trained to prevent unnecessary death and suffering. Every single day we use some or all of that training to keep our people out of the ground. The people we treat are our people. But absolutely nothing in our training prepares us for when we have to bury our own. It never gets easier and it never seems like we can say or do enough. There is an old saying, “Be warned those that battle with monsters, lest you become a monster yourself. And those that look into the abyss ought to be careful that the abyss doesn’t look back into you.” Death is a monster. Perhaps inevitable, but for many it comes too early. Our work is actually a very asymmetrical fight because we have absolutely no control over all the choices the patients made up until the minute someone called us to help. We cannot always defeat death, but we still lack appropriate resources to protect EMTs and Paramedics from the toll this job takes. If we are one day able to study the mental and physical effects 4 years of EMS has on the body and mind; it will speak volumes about the risks, hazards, and the ongoing need to protect our mental health from the very nature of the job. Over the course of an EMS career, we become numb. We lose the ability to feel something while everyone else feels like looking or running away. The deeper, more visceral part of that is that we turn something off about how death feels, and also about how life feels. No matter how many times it happens or in what way, the total trajectory of lives impacted by an individual EMT or Paramedic is simply enormous. The validation for that work in the form of monetary compensation no, recognition for daily meritorious acts, or even our general morale is staggeringly low. We have gotten used to complaining in a small circle, but we have not gotten used to working together as a collective force to improve our situation. Every single death lowers our consciousness and changes us in some way.
Could be sooner. www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC
www.emspac.org EMSPAC HAS YOUR BACK #emt #paramedic #ems #ambulance #ALS #BLS #nycemt #nycmedic #NYSNA #BOK #emergency #amr #livingwage #FDNY #FDNYEMS #NYPD #DOS #RN #ED #carcaravan #emsweek #emstraining #privateems #hospital #nysvara #Hatzalah #remsco #VAC #EMSLives #EMSPAC