Miano explains ALS and BLS ambulance staffing and roles

Just for those who don't understand, could you please explain the roles of personnel on ALS and BLS ambulances?

So an ALS ambulance is advanced life support that's staffed by paramedics, and BLS ambulances are staffed by EMTs, which is BLS stands for basic life support.

So paramedics, I'm sorry, so I'll expand a little more, right?

Paramedics can provide advanced cardiac life support.

They can provide medications that basic life support cannot.

They can provide advanced airway maneuvers like endotracheal intubation to secure somebody's airway who's not breathing.

So the paramedics...

Are an advanced level of care that provide additional medications almost.

We're an emergency room on wheels, right?

We bring the emergency room to your home, to the scene that you call, whether it's on the street, in your home.

And our medics, our paramedics, and the paramedics that operate in the 911 system, whether FDNY or anyone who operates in the 911 system, they are...

I'm sorry, but it goes with the name, when New York City's best.

And when they come out and they assess the situation and they acknowledge the fact that this is a life-threatening situation, they go to work.

And this is the only emergency agency whose primary goal, their only goal, is life.

Yes.

Right.

And that is what they do every single day.

And they put their own lives on the line to ensure that other people can reunite with their families and go home and not just save lives, but bring lives into the world.

There's no better feeling.

Than going from a cardiac

arrest save to a couple hours later delivering a baby.

Who gets to experience and do that in the same day?

Only the members of New York City's EMS system.

And that is why we have to do everything that you've stated up here, that you've stated in your opening testimony, that the chief of department has stated, that the speaker has stated.

We have to take care of New York City's best.