77 New EMTs Join the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Service
Seventy-seven new EMTs celebrate their graduation.
It was standing room only at the FDNY Academy on Jan. 27, as 77 new EMTs joined the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Service.
“Today you are transforming from bystanders into life savers,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano. “You have chosen a rewarding job, one that lets you make a difference every day.”
The Department’s newest members were part of the Trainee Program, which provides entry-level career positions leading to full-time employment in the EMS Command. The class was partially funded with federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, through a partnership with the New York City Department of Small Business Services.
Through the Trainee Program, participants become provisional Fire Department employees and participate in a 14-week, two-part training program. The first component of the program earns the participants New York State EMT Certification. Then participants move into the FDNY EMS Academy at Fort Totten, Queens, to learn FDNY policies and procedures.
Upon graduation, they are promoted to FDNY Emergency Medical Technician.
“Welcome to the premiere emergency medical service in the country,” said Chief of Department Edward Kilduff. “Be ready, be prepared, be on your toes, be proud.”
Chief of EMS John Peruggia added, “I’m proud to be a paramedic. Where else can you go to work and know that you are making a difference in someone’s life?”
The new EMTs will be assigned to units throughout the city.
Four members of the class – EMTs Nicholas Waldrop, Darryl Goodridge, Alaisha Francois and Tristen Echols – are the first graduates of the FDNY High School for Fire and Life Safety in Brooklyn to join the ranks of the FDNY.
EMTs Antonio Lucero and Angie Alburquerque also are graduates of an FDNY Emergency Medical Technician program at Grace Dodge Career and Technical Educational High School in the Bronx.
As they begin their careers, EMT Alburquerque said, “I think it’s going to be hectic, but I’m excited. Not many people have this opportunity.”
EMT Francois, whose grandmother, Linore Simmond, was one of the first female firefighters in the FDNY, said she is nervous, but, “I’m just going to do what my training taught me to do.”
Among this diverse new EMT class, 10 different languages are spoken, including French, Creole, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Yoruba, Gaelic, Cantonese and Portuguese. Thirteen graduating EMTs have family members in the Department and two are veterans of the U.S. Military.
The class valedictorians were EMTs Melissa Jackson and Kevin Sharkey.
The graduates included:
EMT Ahmed Adekoya
EMT Angie Alburquerque
EMT Nkosi Applewhite
EMT Sharon Aziz
EMT Raul Baez
EMT Kimberly M. Barba
EMT Petula Bedeau
EMT John Bradley
EMT Ismael Caban III
EMT David Camasca
EMT Sharita Chambers
EMT Errol Cox
EMT Juan DeJesus
EMT George Dilieto
EMT Timothy Dunne
EMT Tristen Echols
EMT Robert Emhardt
EMT Jimmy Espinosa
EMT Matthew Featherstone
EMT Tamara Ferrer
EMT Yasel Ferrer
EMT Michael Figueroa
EMT Alaisha Francois
EMT Shauna Friel
EMT Daryl Goodridge
EMT Mitchum Greene Jr.
EMT Darren Harris
EMT Noel Harrison
EMT Steven Hughes
EMT Daniel Ingrao
EMT Melissa Jackson
EMT Matthew Jezycki
EMT Michael Johnson
EMT Sean Jones
EMT Jason Jones
EMT Adeola Koiki
EMT Xue Hua Li
EMT Mwalimu Lovelace
EMT Antonio Lucero
EMT Crystal Macaulay
EMT James Manti
EMT Keith Martin
EMT Raheem McBride
EMT Godfrey McLean
EMT Azure McPherson
EMT Terrence Moore
EMT Christopher Ortiz
EMT Brendan O'Sullivan
EMT Sharay Paige
EMT Delphena Panton
EMT Francisco Perez
EMT Anthony Persad
EMT Joeni Pichardo
EMT Eric Randolph
EMT Aziza Rasheed
EMT Wagner Ribeiro
EMT Shawn Rice
EMT Matthew Rivera
EMT Christopher A. Rodriguez
EMT Melissa Rodriguez
EMT Ruben Romano
EMT Michael Schafer
EMT Robert Scragg
EMT Michael Seebrat
EMT Kevin Sharkey
EMT William Slavik
EMT John Soden
EMT Shakir Stanley
EMT Kevin Sullivan
EMT Alvin Taylor
EMT Michael Telesca
EMT Anthony Trabolse
EMT Angel Vazquez
EMT Nicholas Waldrop
EMT Dana White
EMT Brenda Whitman
EMT Joseph Yu