Behind Every Uniform is a Story

EMS Week is dedicated to promoting public safety among all New Yorkers, attracting potential EMS recruits and celebrating the more than 4,400 members of FDNY's Emergency Medical Service and their life-saving work. Join us throughout the week as we tell the stories behind the uniform for a few of FDNY's EMS members.

Meagan Valicenti, Medic, Station 54 in Queens
“I definitely try to distance myself from work when I’m not at work. You really need that separation from work life and home life because work can be so stressful,” said Rescue Medic Meagan Valicenti, who’s at Station 54 in Queens and is a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I love that every day is something different in FDNY EMS — that every time I go to a (call), you never know what you’re going to get. It can be something typical like chest pains or something completely different.” Read more.

Meagan Valicenti, Medic, Station 54 in Queens
“I definitely try to distance myself from work when I’m not at work. You really need that separation from work life and home life because work can be so stressful,” said Rescue Medic Meagan Valicenti, who’s at Station 54 in Queens and is a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I love that every day is something different in FDNY EMS — that every time I go to a (call), you never know what you’re going to get. It can be something typical like chest pains or something completely different.”

When not at work, Paramedic Valicenti enjoys anything outdoors — hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking and yoga. “That’s one of the reasons I love my job, because it allows me to be outside every day.”

“I like interacting with people and hearing peoples’ stories and getting to see what’s going on with them. It always fascinates me that someone on the surface can present one way, but their medical condition can be something that I’ve never seen before. It keeps me on my toes.”

A seven-year veteran of FDNY, Medic Valicenti has been a Rescue Medic for five years. Recently, she was reminded why she finds her career with the Department rewarding. “I treated and transported a patient. After we were in the hospital, he turned to me and said, ‘Thank you.’ That simple thank you just really means the world. The fact that he acknowledged the difference we made in his life, it makes me proud.”

Lisa Nesbitt, EMT, PSAC 1 in Brooklyn
“I started at the Department on my 18th birthday,” said EMT Lisa Nesbitt, who works as an assignment-receiving dispatcher at PSAC 1 in Brooklyn and is a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I think by being (at PSAC 1), I can see both sides of the job. When I worked on the ambulance, you help people on the outside. But here, you must be skillful and use certain voice tones to help the public navigate their emergencies.” Read more.

Lisa Nesbitt, EMT, PSAC 1 in Brooklyn
“I started at the Department on my 18th birthday,” said EMT Lisa Nesbitt, who works as an assignment-receiving dispatcher at PSAC 1 in Brooklyn and is a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I think by being (at PSAC 1), I can see both sides of the job. When I worked on the ambulance, you help people on the outside. But here, you must be skillful and use certain voice tones to help the public navigate their emergencies.”

EMT Nesbitt is a 16-year FDNY veteran, a mom of two daughters and is always on the go. “I have a 15-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old daughter, and I spend a lot of time with them,” she said. Her older daughter competes in track-and-field and recently traveled to Spain. Her younger daughter is a gymnast and currently trains four days a week. “A lot of my focus is on them outside of work.”

EMT Nesbitt also recently picked up another responsibility: She’s a drill instructor with the FDNY Youth EMS Academy. “I had a good mentor, but I didn’t have much guidance coming into this job. I spoke to my investigator at 17 and started at 18 years old, so I thought it was important that these kids get proper training, so they know what to expect. I want to be a great role model to the youth, as well as my own children.”

Shawn Griffin, EMT, Station 45 in Queens
“I wanted to be a gym teacher and teach younger kids, so I’ve always been interested in helping people out any way I can. I was actually going to college (to be a gym teacher) ... but when I went to sign up for my classes, everything was booked,” said Station 45 EMT Shawn Griffin and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I took a semester off and just decided I didn’t want to keep going with it. After working for a local supermarket, I got called to go in for the FDNY EMS Academy.” Read more.

Shawn Griffin, EMT, Station 45 in Queens
“I wanted to be a gym teacher and teach younger kids, so I’ve always been interested in helping people out any way I can. I was actually going to college (to be a gym teacher) ... but when I went to sign up for my classes, everything was booked,” said Station 45 EMT Shawn Griffin and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “I took a semester off and just decided I didn’t want to keep going with it. After working for a local supermarket, I got called to go in for the FDNY EMS Academy.”

EMT Griffin said missing out on the registration for his college classes ended up setting him on a new path — a turn he’s glad he took.

“Since I was younger, I’ve always wanted to be in the position to help people no matter what, even if I wasn’t in EMS,” he said, adding that his friends and family would say he’s a laid-back person but also extremely caring. “Any time anyone needs anything — family or friend, no matter what it is — I'll do what I can to help them.”

When he’s not in uniform, EMT Griffin said he enjoys spending time with friends, family and watching sports.

Kyle Van Nostrand, LT, Station 44 in Brooklyn
“I’m trying to get to all 50 states. I’m at 33 right now. We’re going to Colorado in August and Chicago the week after that,” said Lt. Kyle Van Nostrand, of Station 44 and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. He said he plans about 10% of his trips. The rest of the itinerary? There usually isn’t one. Read more.

Kyle Van Nostrand, LT, Station 44 in Brooklyn
“I’m trying to get to all 50 states. I’m at 33 right now. We’re going to Colorado in August and Chicago the week after that,” said Lt. Kyle Van Nostrand, of Station 44 and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. He said he plans about 10% of his trips. The rest of the itinerary? There usually isn’t one.

“Something brings me to the state. I flew into Galveston (Texas) for a fishing trip and then I flew out of Pensacola (Florida) and just wrapped the Gulf Coast with really no plan. I was there for 10 days — the first hotel room night was booked, and the last night was booked, and I just had a rental car and drove where the wind blew. Having no set plans is part of why I enjoy trips with no structure. Get there, get a feel for what the locals do and go from there.”

Lt. Van Nostrand’s travel mentality is in stark contrast to his day job. “I’m a first-generation civil servant. I started volunteering in my hometown with the Fire Department and fell in love with the lifestyle and culture. Personality wise, I’m definitely a calm, level-headed person. People sometimes joke, ‘Can you sound more excited?’ Sorry, that’s just who I am.”

Madeleine Manzo, EMT, Station 20 in the Bronx
“I’m an introvert. I like to read my books; I like to watch soccer — Barcelona and, more recently, NYCFC. Outside of work, I’m the in-the-corner-and-observe kind of person,” said Station 20 EMT Madeleine Manzo and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. She’s currently reading “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” by Sally Rooney. Read more.

Madeleine Manzo, EMT, Station 20 in the Bronx
“I’m an introvert. I like to read my books; I like to watch soccer — Barcelona and, more recently, NYCFC. Outside of work, I’m the in-the-corner-and-observe kind of person,” said Station 20 EMT Madeleine Manzo and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. She’s currently reading “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” by Sally Rooney.

“For some reason, when I’m on the job, it just kind of switches for me in the brain, and I’m the first person to make the conversation with the patient or their family member. I don’t so much think about how I sound or look when I’m providing help. I’m just immediately focused on what I can do to help them. It’s incredible how it just switches for me.”

EMT Manzo and her brother are the first Latinos in their family to work for FDNY.

“For us, at least, it’s important to realize that we were able to take this step forward and that it was possible to do so. We’re very family oriented, and we just like to make our members proud. I always want to see if I can go above and beyond. I think it’s a little bit of a dream come true (working for the FDNY) because, in my eyes, it seemed almost impossible.”

Alexander J. Bases, Medic, Station 4 in Manhattan
“I respond to a medical emergency in the subway, three stories down. There’s like 70 people, everyone’s yelling … there are phones from onlookers in your face from, like, 25 angles. You hone in on your craft, focus on one problem at a time,” said Alexander Bases, a Paramedic at Station 4 in Manhattan and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “My partner and I focus on our job; we get what we need to get done and then we go on to the next call.” Read more.

Alexander J. Bases, Medic, Station 4 in Manhattan
“I respond to a medical emergency in the subway, three stories down. There’s like 70 people, everyone’s yelling … there are phones from onlookers in your face from, like, 25 angles. You hone in on your craft, focus on one problem at a time,” said Alexander Bases, a Paramedic at Station 4 in Manhattan and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. “My partner and I focus on our job; we get what we need to get done and then we go on to the next call.”

Paramedic Bases said it can be nerve-wracking at chaotic scenes. “We do the right thing. Me and my partner, we’re one unit.” When not on the job, he enjoys doing things unrelated to medicine so he can have a fresh mind when he’s back on tour. He does scuba dive, though. “Yeah, that’s super nerve-wracking until you get in the water, and then it’s just that feeling of weightlessness. You just enjoy the ride.” He also participates in beach cleanups and runs often, including the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K. That hits close to home.

“My dad is active NYPD. He was on the Brooklyn Bridge going to his precinct when the second tower collapsed. He spent one to two months on the pile. My mom is a retired nurse. … I enjoyed both sides (of what they did), and being a medic is kind of a good middle ground. I knew what I was going to do very early. I started volunteering as a firefighter — first as an explorer, then as a volunteer — and that kind of solidified my idea that I wanted to be on the job and make it a career.”

Denes Ravel, EMT, Station 19 in the Bronx
“I’m a huge jokester, I love to crack jokes. I love to laugh. I feel like a smile goes a long way. On the job, I get patients who are going through rough moments in life, and I just love to make them smile if I can,” said Denes Ravel, of Station 19 and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant. Read more.

Denes Ravel, EMT, Station 19 in the Bronx
“I’m a huge jokester, I love to crack jokes. I love to laugh. I feel like a smile goes a long way. On the job, I get patients who are going through rough moments in life, and I just love to make them smile if I can,” said Denes Ravel, of Station 19 and a 2024 FDNY EMS Week poster participant.

EMT Ravel, an avid gym-goer and runner, loves his morning iced coffee. “Original blend black coffee, three pumps of caramel and an extra shot of espresso. That’s a great start to any tour. It helps prepare me for whatever the day throws at me. You never know what you’re going to get. It can go from zero to 100 in a heartbeat,” he quipped. “That iced coffee is a MUST!”

“I just love EMS so much, and I have been fortunate enough to have great partners,” said EMT Ravel, an eight-year veteran of the Department. “That just makes the job smoother every day. Your partner can really make your day — that's what I always believe. We always try to be in sync so as soon as we get out of the ambulance, we’re both working together to get the patient stabilized.”

When he’s off-duty, EMT Ravel said another passion is finding new food spots on social media and checking them out. “I love to just be in my car and take long drives. I also love watching ‘80s and ‘90s movies at home on my day off, especially if it’s a rainy day.”