(Law Enforcement Today) According to a local union chief, New York City Fire Department EMTs and paramedics have become subjected to attacks at an increased frequency lately, and the union chief claims that officials aren’t listening to voiced concerns on the matter.
Local 2507 of the Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors union president Oren Barzilay says that since the beginning of 2021, at least four ambulances have had windows smashed as well as instances of parked cars outside of the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, EMS base have endured targeted vandalism.
A report from the New York Post noted that EMS crew that were driving on Marcus Garvey Boulevard near Quincy Street on January 1st had an “unknown object” thrown at the vehicle, which resulted in the passenger side window getting smashed.
According to Barzilay, one of the more recent incidents involved an EMS crew responding to a call where someone had thrown a brick at the vehicle:
“These incidents are causing a delay in getting the public the help they need as these units are placed off-service for investigation, the wellness of our members and repairs.”
On April 13th, two ambulances that were nearby the FDNY EMS station 57 had reportedly been graffitied with the letters “FTP,” an acronym used by the anti-police crowd that stands for “f**k the police.”
…Going back to December of 2020, there was an ambulance in the Brooklyn area that was reportedly ambushed and robbed at gunpoint when responding to a 911 call…
Back in March, Law Enforcement Today reported on an incident in New York City where a paramedic was bitten in the face – requiring stitches – when responding to a patient experiencing an “altered mental status.”
Last night this happened to one of our medics here in the FDNY EMS. Every call we go on can be our last. The dangers are everywhere. All the more reason we deserve the same pay and benefits as the other 911 agencies. Note: posted with permission from inured medic. @NYCEMSwatch pic.twitter.com/bqPbGoqTPe
— Anthony Almojera ?✈️? (@AnthonyAlmojera) March 5, 2021