Michael O'Connor testifies on private sector EMS pay and conditions
Michael O'Connor, a private sector EMT for eight years, describes starting wages of $20.50/hour, mandatory overtime shifts, and having to spend $60 on taxis after being mandated, earning $20 less than the additional hours paid, illustrating the affordability crisis facing EMS workers.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
My name is Michael O'Connor.
I'm an EMT, and I've worked in private EMS in New York City for approximately eight years.
I want to emphasize that private EMS is distinct from the municipal sector FDNY EMS.
New York City's EMS workforce operates across different sectors with different employers, wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Around approximately a few thousand or so EMS workers serve in the commercial private sector alone.
Today, I'm speaking from my experience as one of those private sector EMTs.
EMTs are entrusted with extraordinary responsibilities.
We perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, provide life-saving interventions and medications within our scope of practice,
consistently face potential exposures to infectious disease, and perform physically demanding work, including lifting and carrying patients, some of which are bariatric, which means greater than 250 pounds.
Yet, a starting wage of $20.50 an hour, an example of a starting private EMS rate, is still less than 21% above the New York City $17 minimum wage.
And I've even heard some stories of some private sector EMS workers getting paid less than that at $17, which is the minimum wage.
Affordability affects us in very real ways, and they are interconnected with these issues that we see.
speak today even.
My regular schedule includes three consecutive 12-hour shifts.
Sometimes we are mandated past our scheduled off time because of a late job or emergency call, even when we are expected back early the following morning.
Recently, after one of my shifts being mandated recently, I spent about, I had to spend around $60 on taxis both ways simply to preserve enough time to sleep and return safely to care for my patients the next day.
This is around $20 more than I earned from the additional mandated hours.
Sometimes I feel like we are the ones paying to be mandated, not the other way around.
That's only one example, though.
Affordability looks different for every EMS worker, but we should not have to choose between remaining in a profession that we love and being able to afford the basic necessity in our lives.
As a New York City private sector EMT, I would feel safer knowing that the council takes seriously with allocating attention to the affordability of private sector EMS workers.
Thank you.
Yeah, we're going to, if you guys want to stick around after this hearing, I can have a conversation with you guys.
Okay?
This is more about senior free and the jury hearing.
If you guys want to stick around after the hearing, I can talk to you guys.
Thank you.
Okay, next panel.
Wait, there are some, there are folks who still haven't spoken.
Oh, did everyone speak in this panel?
Okay.