Variale calls for equal treatment, pay, and career retention policies
Variale says EMS cannot be expected to shoulder the solution and that anything short of co-equal treatment is a band-aid. He asks the city to ensure EMS members are treated as equals to fire operations and to provide pay and benefits comparable to firefighters to improve recruitment and retention.
This problem will not go away until the city takes the steps necessary to treat EMS as a co-
equal branch of the FDNY's Uniformed Emergency Services.
Anything else is just a band-aid.
Every day that this crisis continues, more New Yorkers lose the chance to receive timely, life-saving care.
It does not have to be this way.
The mayor has the ability to negotiate a settlement that would address the conditions driving this crisis.
EMS is among the city's most diverse uniformed emergency services, and the workforce composed predominantly of women and people of color.
The city should take the two immediate steps.
Ensure members of EMS are treated as equals to members of fire operations through leadership and recognition and compensation.
Provide EMS personnel with the pay and benefit.
Compatible to those of the firefighter counterparts, adopt policy changes that strengthen recruitment, improve retention, and encourage new FDNY members to build on long-term careers.
Together, these actions will help stabilize the EMS workforce and improve emergency care for all New Yorkers.
Thank you.