2 EMTs narrowly avoid being hit by bullets while sitting in ambulance in the Bronx
Two EMS workers were nearly hit after bullets struck the ambulance they were sitting inside in the Bronx, according to the FDNY.
Police said it happened just after midnight Thursday on Webster Avenue in the Morrisania section, where the ambulance was parked.
Francisco Vasquez was one of the EMTs inside the ambulance during the shooting. He said they were responding to a different call when gunfire erupted.
"We're being shot at"
"All of a sudden, we got bullets coming in from the back of the ambulance into the front and hitting the windshield," he said.
He and his partner quickly picked up the radio to contact dispatch.
"We're being shot at," he said over the radio.
Bystanders then pounded on the windows, saying another person was shot. Vasquez said they got out and saw a teen who was shot in the abdomen.
Police said the 18-year-old was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK.
Video from the scene showed the hole left in the back window and a large crack in the front windshield from the bullet.
Workplace violence incidents increased over 13 years
The number of workplace violence incidents for EMS has increased from 15 in 2011 to 423 in 2024, according to data from the FDNY.
EMS also has the vast majority of incidents within the entire fire department.
FDNY EMS Local 2507, the union representing EMTs, paramedics and fire inspectors, said emergency personnel need more investment and support.
"Every day, EMS members respond to major emergencies, shoulder-to-shoulder and directly in harm's way alongside police and firefighters, yet are not compensated for the risks required of their duties," a statement read. "Shamefully, our members are paid closer to minimum wages, which is absolutely not commensurate with the dangers they face on the streets, or for the quality emergency medical care we are trained to provide in life-threatening situations."
