Registration Open for FDNY Medical Special Operations Conference
March 10, 2016
FDNY Foundation Thanks 7-Year-Old New Yorker for Support
March 22, 2016
FDNY Foundation Celebrates FDNY EMS 20th Anniversary
The FDNY Foundation is proud to join the FDNY in marking the 20th anniversary of the merger between the Health and Hospitals Corporation Emergency Medical Service and the Fire Department of New York.
The two groups officially merged on March 17, 1996, making the FDNY the largest department-based provider of emergency medical care in the country.
“This merger is a true life-saving partnership that protects our city and every single person who visits, works and lives here in our city,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “Thanks to the partnership that began 20 years ago, the FDNY saves more lives today than that at any point in our history. That is the true legacy and the greatest benefit of the merger we’re celebrating today.”
“Through the merger, the FDNY was able to adapt and position itself in a manner to respond to these calls day after day and save lives in ways never thought possible a century ago,” said Chief of Department James E. Leonard.
“This remarkable anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the thousands of men and women who make up the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Service,” said FDNY Foundation Board Chairman Stephen Ruzow. “These EMTs and paramedics are on the front lines, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and we are so grateful to them for their service. We honor that service by funding continuing training for so many of our members, and by supporting the life safety initiatives that we know keep New Yorkers safe in emergencies.”
The Foundation funds many of the FDNY’s life safety programs, including its free CPR initiative, the training and support of the Department’s EMS members, the FDNY’s life safety mascot, Siren, and its educational website, FDNY Smart.
The FDNY Foundation will also fund the upcoming Medical Special Operations Conference and many of the events that help the Department reach into the community during the annual EMS Week.
Your donations to the Foundation help support life safety programs that allow the FDNY to keep New Yorkers safe. Last year, your support allowed the FDNY’s CPR program to reach more than 20,000 New Yorkers, with FDNY EMS members training them in how to perform life-saving CPR.
As a part of an expansion of the CPR Program, the Foundation joined the FDNY, NYC Service and the New York City Department of Education to offer the bystander CPR program called “Be 911: Teens Take Heart.” The free program targets high school students and prepares them to act as citizen responders, stepping in to save a life in response to a victim of cardiac arrest. In total, schools have requested training for nearly 11,400 students. To date, the team has trained more than half of the schools that requested more information and is currently scheduling trainings with the remaining schools.
Additionally, the FDNY’s life safety initiatives will reach new audiences around the world thanks to a new digital magazine, planned for launch this month. The Foundation will be publishing the FDNY Pro EMS Digital Magazine, which will be a part of the new www.fdnypro.org. FDNY Pro is now home to a revamped digital WNYF (With New York Firefighters) Magazine and will serve as an information center, allowing the Department to share its expertise, knowledge, training and experiences to fire and life safety professionals worldwide.
You can join the FDNY EMS 20th Anniversary celebration by purchasing official FDNY EMS gear at fdnyshop.com, where the proceeds from your purchase go directly to supporting these critical life safety initiatives. A special edition patch was designed by FDNY EMT Joseph Dantuono of Station 54 in Queens to commemorate the anniversary.
To show your support for the FDNY’s 3,700 EMS members by making a donation to the Foundation, click here.
"This merger is a true life-saving partnership that protects our city and every single person who visits, works and lives here in our city. Thanks to the partnership that began 20 years ago, the FDNY saves more lives today than that at any point in our history. That is the true legacy and the greatest benefit of the merger we’re celebrating today."
