MAYOR GIULIANI AND FIRE COMMISSIONER VON ESSEN HONOR HERO PARAMEDICS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AT EMS MEDAL DAY
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen today honored 40 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics from the Fire Department's Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), for life-saving acts of bravery. The EMS heroes were honored at a ceremony at the Fire Department's new headquarters at 9 MetroTech Center in Brooklyn, where 36 other EMT's and paramedics were presented with "Prehospital Save Awards" for helping save the lives of heart attack victims.
"Today, we honor 77 men and women of the FDNY-EMS command for their many acts of bravery," Mayor Giuliani said. "You deserve the highest praise for doing a job that few people can do and for doing that job so well. As EMS Technicians, you are asked to perform under intense pressure, yet you always respond with calm courage and unparalleled professionalism.
"Each day when you come to work and put on the uniform, you reaffirm your commitment for the people of this City," the Mayor continued. "New York City has the best fire department in the nation because of your efforts and achievements. The last few years have been among the proudest in the history of the FDNY. Three thousand paramedics and 11,000 firefighters have worked together as a team to reduce emergency response times and save lives.
"The City is committed to giving you the necessary resources to allow you to perform your job professionally and responsibly. We have put in place Advanced Paramedic Response Units and equipped the division with advanced defibrillators to provide the courageous men and women of this Department with the kind of support you deserve. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want to thank you for your service and commitment to the people of this City," the Mayor concluded.
Fire Commissioner Von Essen said, "Nowhere in the world is the job of providing prehospital emergency medical care a more rigorous responsibility than here in New York City. And nowhere else in the world will you find individuals who are more professional and competent than the EMTs and Paramedics of the FDNY."
Today's event is the first awards ceremony for New York City EMT's and paramedics since the merger of the Fire Department with EMS. The event also marks the first time that the Christopher Prescott Medal, given in memory of the city's first EMT to die in the line of duty, was awarded. Christopher Prescott, while at the scene of a car accident in 1994, was struck and killed by a drunk driver. Paul DePalo received this year's Prescott Medal for entering a burning building and rescuing two people.
Each year in New York City, members of the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service Command respond to more than 1.3 million calls for help. Here are some of the life-saving heroics for which today's honorees are being recognized:
- Paramedic Shoshana Weiner and EMT James Foley. While off-duty, Foley and Weiner scaled a fence and entered the water at Gravesend, Brooklyn to rescue an elderly woman who had fallen over the railing and was floating face down in the water.
- Paramedics Anthony DeGennaro and Pierre Victor and EMTs William Bedula and Nicole Ferrel. The paramedics were called to assist a woman pinned under a car while her nine-month old child slept inside. With no help in sight, the team lifted the automobile off the lifeless victim. The victim was revived by these medical professionals enroute to the hospital and later made a complete recovery.
- EMTs Joseph D'Agosto and Michael Pagan. In June of 1995, this team rescued numerous victims trapped on the famed Coney Island Jumbo Jet ride. Their rescue was performed without climbing gear or protective equipment.
- Lieutenant John Kilcooly and EMT Susan James. Kilcooly and James saved the life of a small child who was being beaten and abused by her father on Christmas Day 1995. After their initial visit yielded no evidence of abuse, James felt something was wrong and requested that the police and an ambulance return to the scene. Her supervisor agreed, and upon arrival and further investigation, they found a small child who was beaten with a hammer.
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