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Despondency, thinning ranks among NYC EMS workers after 3 years with no contract
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 1, 2025
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Reece T. Williams/Gothamist
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 1, 2025
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Leaders of an emergency medical services workers union say a years-long contract stalemate and low pay have decimated the spirits and ranks of the FDNY’s ambulance crews, sparking longer wait times for first responders.
The workers have been embroiled in negotiations with the FDNY — which oversees both firefighters and EMS — since their contract expired three years ago.
Anthony Almojera, an FDNY EMS lieutenant and leader of an officers’ union, said morale is so low among his colleagues that 14 members have committed suicide since 2020. He said pay is so low that many workers border on homelessness and he’s keeping tabs on roughly 40 other EMS workers who have also expressed a desire to harm themselves.
“And those are just all the people who have had the courage to reach out — there are others,” Almojera said. “And I know that for a fact because I’ve been down that road.”
Almojera said the feelings of desperation and isolation in his line of work led him to sit alone in his own bathtub, with a knife, just four years earlier. He said he was able to pull himself out because of the knowledge of how many other people depend on him.
“People are not able to make it here and it's starting to push into our mental health, physical health,” said Almojera, who added he’s seen lieutenants demote themselves because the stress and paltry pay — even with a higher rank — isn’t worth it.
Some EMS workers make as little as $36,330 during the first few months with salaries capped at $76,028 after five years.
Almojera said the latter number is reserved for paramedics — who have the highest levels of training and ability — and that EMTs make $59,800 at most.
Firefighters make $54,122 to start, and top out at $105,146 after five years, excluding fringe, overtime and holiday pay, as listed on the FDNY’s website.
Talks between the workers and the city remain at a standstill because EMS union leaders have made several demands, including higher wages — on par with what firefighters and other uniformed personnel make in the city.
The EMS workers’ unions are also asking FDNY to revamp its benefits package, including lowering the age that a worker can retire.
Zach Nosanchuck, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, said the mayor created a wellness support fund for EMS workers and that city negotiators were working to reach a fair contract with the union.
“EMS workers have made countless sacrifices to keep New Yorkers safe, and New York City owes them a debt of gratitude,” Nosanchuck wrote in a statement. “This job is difficult, and they deserve our utmost respect and resources to support their health and wellness.”
The city’s inability to retain enough emergency workers is contributing to the growing response times for ambulances, according to lawmakers — which can mean the difference between life and death when some New Yorkers are in a crisis.
The yearslong wait for a resolution has become so dire that the FDNY EMS unions filed a class action discrimination lawsuit against the fire department, alleging that the contract impasse is because of a bias towards the workforce, which is largely composed of women and people of color.
Last week, Almojera went as far as to suggest that EMS remove itself from the FDNY and exist as its own entity.
Adams vowed to bring pay parity to the city’s EMTs and paramedics while campaigning for mayor. With 4 months remaining in his term, that promise has gone unfulfilled.
A spokesperson for the FDNY didn’t address pay equity and benefits when questioned.
“Every day, our EMTs and Paramedics do incredible work in highly stressful situations. Their mental health is critically important to the FDNY, and our Counseling Service Unit provides support through assessment, treatment planning, treatment referral and follow up,” said FDNY spokesperson Amanda Farinacci in an emailed statement.
I used to be proud of this job. I used to love making a difference and now I walk in almost every single day ready to quit.
EMS Lt. Diana Cassa
EMS Lt. Diana Cassa has spent more than a decade working in the Bronx. But after her shifts, she commutes back to New Jersey because, with her current pay, she “can’t afford to live in New York City.”
She said some of her colleagues live in homeless shelters.
“I used to be proud of this job. I used to love making a difference and now I walk in almost every single day ready to quit because it's just not the way that it used to be anymore,” Cassa said.
Cassa described strenuous shifts in which she and her colleagues are often tasked with bringing someone “back to life” while working in cramped spaces.
“Not being recognized by the city that you work in and dedicate your life to, your holidays to, your family time too, and to be so grossly underpaid, and under-appreciated?” she added. “I’m just speechless.”
EMS workers respond to about to about 6,000 emergency calls a day, according to the union. The number of calls has been steadily increasing each year, hitting a record of more than 1.6 million in 2023, the union estimates.
There were roughly 4,600 EMS workers prior to the pandemic — and that number has dwindled to 4,100, which is hundreds less than what’s needed, Almojera said.
Almojera said that an average of ten to 15 EMS workers are quitting each week, on average.
“This could be fixed and that's the sad thing,” he said. “It’s not a problem that can’t be addressed. It’s a problem that doesn't want to be addressed by the people in charge of the fire department.”
Tagged
labor
new york city
public safety
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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