On this Throwback Thursday, join us below in learning about Lieutenant Dwight Scott and EMTs Christopher Juanilla and Tiffany Robledo. This past December, the trio helped to disarm an individual who was attacking civilians nearby while they were serving at Station 17 in the Bronx.
“I was born and raised in Brooklyn. No one in my family was an EMT or Paramedic in the Department, but I joined because I knew I wanted to go into the medical field. I like to be hands-on and working out in the elements. As an EMT, I’m constantly learning something new every day,” said Robledo, who now works at Station 40. “I have been with the Department for two years. Working here is like working with a tight-knit family. One person may go through something at the station, and we all feel it. We are literally like a family and we get through everything together.”
“Before I learned about this Department, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the medical field or what route to take. A very close friend of mine who worked as a Fire Protection Inspector for the FDNY knew I wanted to help people as a career and he told me about the EMS Trainee career, so I applied. I was able to get certified as an EMT with no prior training and I was hired by the FDNY in 2018. Working for the Department differs from other places in so many ways. It’s an honorable job because we’re helping people in their time of need. One of the exhilarating parts is having to make split second decisions during emergency calls and applying our training and trusting ourselves,” Juanilla added.
Lieutenant Scott, a 24-year-veteran with the Department, said that the entire incident in December reminded them all why they chose such a career: to help others.
“While I was working inside the station that day, people started banging on the door. It was second nature to want to go and help and not stand by. Once across the street, quick thinking and adrenaline enabled us to apprehend the suspect to make sure no one else would get injured,” Scott recalled. “We are extremely fortunate no one was seriously hurt. The reason we are in this profession is because it’s a calling and we want to help.”
If you missed it, read our first story about this Bronx trio here. Learn how you can work in our EMS here.
As we celebrate Black History Month, join us today in giving a tip of the helmet to Chief of EMS Operations Michael Fields, center, and, from left, Deputy Chief Kahlia Graham, Deputy Chief Arlene Simmons, Deputy Chief Mario Thompkins, Deputy Chief Horace Williams, Division Chief Cheryl Middleton, Division Chief Tonya Boyd, Deputy Chief Telina Lloyd, Deputy Chief Leonard Wright, Deputy Chief Terrance Middleton, Deputy Chief Renae Mascol and Deputy Chief Laitrice Edwards.
