When HHC EMS was merged into the FDNY in 1996, there were growing pains — and big debates. One proposal was to run EMS communications under a battalion-based model, similar to how fire companies operate.
Retired FDNY EMS Captain Mitch Stern, then working in communications, knew that wouldn’t work. With fewer than 500 ambulances to cover the city, redeployments happening constantly, and tour commanders needing a citywide picture, he stood up in a room full of brass and said so — bluntly.
His honesty ruffled feathers, but his foresight proved correct. In Volume 74 of Best of The Bravest: Interviews with The FDNY’s Elite, Stern reflects on that moment, the challenges of the merger, and what it took to make EMS work within the FDNY system.
Outro Song: Rollins Band – Up For It (2001)
VIEW INTERVIEW HERE:
Mike Colón Media 
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