Firefighters and elected officials gathered at EMS Station 40 in Sunset Park, also known as the “Dragon’s Den,” on Aug. 8 to unveil the station’s new mural, which features two powerful dragons that symbolize the community the first responders serve.
Normally, the equipment doors of New York City’s police stations feature the company’s logo and patch, but FDNY EMS Lt. Anthony Almojera told Brooklyn Paper that his station wanted something different – a true work of art.
“We wanted something unique that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the fire department,” explained Almojera.
Almojera shared his vision with Brooklyn artist Linda Serrone, setting out two key requirements: The mural should reflect Sunset Park and surrounding neighborhoods—the largest Asian American community in New York City—and the dragon’s mouth should be painted above the door through which first responders enter the “dragon’s den.”
Artist Linda Serrone, who designed the mural like a painting, told Brooklyn Paper that the work was a tribute to the neighborhood and a memorial to the paramedics who lost their lives in the line of duty – which Serrone said was the most difficult aspect.
“These guys are literally doing the job of a police officer, a firefighter and a paramedic, and that’s their main job,” Serrone said. “I hope (the painting) energizes them and lets them know that I’m a crazy supporter.”
Almojera chose August 8 as the unveiling date intentionally because the number eight symbolizes long life and happiness in Asian culture.
“So now we have the double eight in the Year of the Dragon. Hopefully this will bring luck to all of us in the emergency services because we could really use it,” he said.
For years, FDNY unions representing about 4,000 paramedics and EMTs — 60% of whom are minorities and 40% women — have fought for pay parity with FDNY firefighters and police officers. An EMT salary starts at $39,386, while a rookie firefighter starts at $45,196. After five years, FDNY paramedics often reach a top salary of $59,000, compared to about $110,000 for firefighters.
In 2023, the city’s “street medics” responded to 1,619,813 emergency calls, an average of about 4,400 calls per day. Almojera, who also serves as vice president of the uniformed emergency medical technicians union FDNY Local 3621, noted that FDNY paramedics are burned out and leaving the department in droves.
“According to the fire department, we lose 10 to 15 people every week,” Almojera said. “So there are a lot of problems in the emergency services. About 75% of my staff have less than five years of experience. Since the (COVID-19) pandemic began, 12 of our members have committed suicide.”
Many paramedics work a second or third job to make ends meet and live outside the city because they can’t afford the sky-high rents. Despite Mayor Eric Adams’ promise to grant equal pay to New York City Fire Department employees, current collective bargaining is “not going well,” Almojera said.
“We come to all kinds of crazy things, shootings, stabbings, fires, building collapses. In Rockaway last night or two nights ago, two people were swimming and almost drowned and emergency services ran to the beach,” Almojera said. “We come to all of these things, and when you call 911, you have a choice of three. But for some reason the city decided one of them is unequal.”
Unlike police officers, firefighters and garbage collectors, who have unlimited sick days, paramedics are only entitled to twelve days per year.
“So when you use up your 12 days and the time is up, you don’t get paid anymore. What happens if I don’t get paid anymore? I lose my health insurance. So I lose what I need most,” Almojera explained. “So we had to set up this fund, funded by the members and not the department, to help when something like this happens.”
The EMS FDNY Help Fund, a registered nonprofit organization, was established in 2017 after EMT Yadira Arroyo was struck by her own ambulance and killed in the line of duty. The fund supports EMTs, paramedics and their families in the event of death, injury, illness or emergency.
Danielle Gustafson, executive director of the EMS FDNY Help Fund, told Brooklyn Paper that paramedics and emergency medical technicians started the fund with $2 from their biweekly pay. The fund works with various partners and will host its second annual gala on October 1 at the Classic Car Club.
Gustafson would prefer to make himself “unemployed.”
“I don’t think this fund should exist. In a perfect world, there would be no need for such a fund,” Gustafson said. “But the world is not perfect, and that’s why I’m here.”
Elected officials in the room also spoke about equal pay. Among those present were State Senators Iwen Chu and Andrew Gournades and City Council Members Justin Brannan and Alexa Avilés.
Avilés called the station building’s new mural “beautiful.”
“It integrates both the community we live in and the culture and the beauty,” she said. “It just has so much meaning and relevance.”
Avilés described paramedics and emergency medical technicians as the “heart of New York City.” They save lives every day but do not receive the same pay and benefits as uniformed personnel.
“They are not even recognized as such,” Avilés said. “This injustice must be corrected immediately, and the city of New York has the means to do so. It requires political will and commitment.”
Chu couldn’t wait to see the mural.
“They are here day in and day out, on the streets with our community, with our residents, making sure they are safe and healthy and can return to their homes,” she said.
Brannan called the pay gap a “stain on the city” and promised to “fight hard” to ensure EMTs and paramedics get what they deserve. He then called on the mayor to keep his promise and make pay equity a priority.
“Now is the time to get this done,” Brannan urged. “Because if, God forbid, I have to call 911, they’ll ask, ‘Do you need police, fire, or an ambulance?’ all in the same breath, all equal, except when payday comes, we see who’s equal and who’s not, and that’s wrong. It’s like pitting first responders against each other.”
Gournades recalled his first visit to Station 40, when staff showed him a paycheck for $743 for two weeks of work. “Who can afford to live anywhere in this country, let alone New York City, with that much money?” he asked.
The mayor’s office did not respond to The Brooklyn Paper’s request for comment on equal pay for paramedics.
