By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said EMS personnel are the lowest-paid first responders in New York City.
• Bonsignore spoke about pay parity during a “State of the FDNY” breakfast event sponsored by the FDNY Foundation.
• She linked low pay to recruitment and retention challenges as medical calls make up the majority of FDNY workload.
• Starting EMT salaries are significantly lower than those of firefighters, officials said.
• Contract negotiations between EMS unions and City Hall are expected to continue later this month.
NEW YORK, NY — Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said Monday that emergency medical service workers with the Fire Department of New York are the lowest-paid first responders in the city and that addressing pay disparities is critical to recruitment and retention, officials said.
Shawn Inglima/TNS
Bonsignore made the comments during a “State of the FDNY” breakfast event sponsored by the FDNY Foundation, stressing that EMTs and paramedics deserve compensation that reflects their contribution to the city’s emergency response.
Officials noted that medical calls make up a large majority of FDNY responses, and that starting salaries for EMTs remain far below those of firefighters, a disparity union representatives say has exacerbated staffing challenges.
Bonsignore, who previously led the FDNY’s EMS division, said she has no direct role in contract negotiations but advocates for EMS compensation that matches the demands of the job.
Labor negotiations between EMS unions and New York City officials are ongoing, with additional bargaining sessions expected later this month, members said.
