City lifesavers deserve a real salary
BROOKLYNPAPER.COM
COURIER L 26 IFE, FEBRUARY 21-27, 2020
EDITORIAL
BROOKLYN’S
#1 LOCAL
NEWS SITE
Mayor supports development poised to devestate
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Mayor Bill de Blasio undermined the expert opinion of professional
green thumbs, architects, and executives at Brooklyn
Botanic Garden during an appearance on the Brian Lehrer
show on Feb. 7, when he suggested that building a massive residential
complex a stones throw away from the beloved horticultural
museum would cause no serious injury to its collection of
rare and exotic plants.
@BrooklynPaper
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
The emergency medical
technicians (EMTs) of the
New York City Fire Department
have one of the toughest,
high-pressure jobs in the
city — and they do it well.
Last year, they responded
to more than 1.5 million
medical emergencies across
the five boroughs — a daily
average of more than 4,500
runs — saving countless
lives in the process. They
have to work fast and deal
with difficult situations,
knowing that in many cases,
every lost second may bring
their patient closer to death.
And yet, for all the incredible
pressure they endure
and the services they
provide, a city EMT is also
grossly underpaid. The entry
level salary for an FDNY
EMT is just over $33,000 a
year — or about $16 per hour.
The city’s minimum wage is
$15 per hour.
It’s sad and ironic that
these lifesavers can’t get a
livable wage from the city
they serve.
The de Blasio Administration
is quick to point out
that EMT salaries climb to
more than $54,000 a year
after five years on the job.
But, according to the unions
representing EMTs, the reality
is that many of these
first responders can’t afford
to hold out that long for better
pay.
The turnover rate for city
EMTs is incredibly high.
About 75% of the entire
EMT force, according to the
unions, has less than five
years of experience.
It’s not just about workers
who can’t handle the duties
and find another career; the
unions charge that it comes
down to these workers can’t
afford the ever-rising cost of
living.
A rookie New York City
police officer starts out with
an annual salary of about
$45,000. The same holds
true for a probationary New
York City firefighter. Both
of these first responders are
tasked with responding to
emergencies and are trained
to save lives.
There’s no reason for the
city not to pay an EMT like
a cop or a firefighter from
the start of their careers —
not when so many lives are
at stake.
Negotiations are now underway
between the unions
and the de Blasio Administration
to hammer out a new
deal. We hope the city finally
fixes this embarrassing pay
disparity.
The de Blasio Administration
must do what’s right
and reward the life-saving
EMTs with a livable wage.
It’s the very least they deserve.
/BROOKLYNPAPER.COM
