I was sorry to see that the above videos posted are no longer available. So I wanted to find something to give credit to the kind of work that the members of the NYC EMS Health and Hospitals members did. They too were a part of the life savors of New York City as the NYPD and FDNY. And during the very difficult years of the 1970s and 1980s, they too were the glue holding the country's largest city together.
During those years street violence sky rocketed with shootings, stabbings and gang violence. Fires in the city were at historic proportions injuring civilians and firefighters as well. Drug addiction from the heron epidemic was at it's highest levels. Crack cocaine was also beginning to hit the streets.
In addition there were the everyday car accidents, the heart attacks, the falls, the drunks, the mentally unstable (EDPs).
The people of the NYC EMS saw it all. And throughout that time, no doubt they had a direct impact on saving thousands and thousands of lives.
I was once invited into the NYC EMS Dispatch Center in Maspeth Queens and given a tour by the boss. As I remember, I think one area had the call takers and the other area had the dispatch consoles (?). Everybody was busy the entire time I was there. It was a huge operation that never shut down.
I wanted to show those who might not be aware the kind of work these people did. This was Pre FDNY Merger Days. Today of course the EMTs and Medics of the FDNY/EMS do the same job. So this is dedicated to them as well.
I also know that we have a few members on this site that work or have worked EMS in New York City. Including "memorymaster" who I believe was also an EMS Supervisor. Also site member "69mets", who later became a NYC Firefighter, and after the FDNY/EMS merger, this site owner "tbendick", who is now a Lt in the FDNY.
Well here's the video. You get to see what it was like in the NYC EMS.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT04UJOWgpk