“As an Emergency Medical Technician, I consider this the best experience you can get in the medical field. You are first on scene, working in all type of environments, responding to calls not knowing what to expect and you have to make life-saving split decisions,” said Station 17 EMT Leslie Monge. “I’ve worked in many different professions in my life, and my wife is a nurse. We are pro-medicine and love helping others. In this field, it’s something you have to be passionate about in order to be good at it. There’s a lot of opportunity and room for growth here.”
Monge joined the Department in February 2020 during the height of COVID-19 pandemic. He is the first in his family to become an EMT for the Department.
“My family migrated from Costa Rica decades ago and I was raised in Yonkers. They worked hard throughout the years and now are retired U.S. citizens. I want to continue making them proud by being a hard-working family man,” Monge explained. “I had prior EMS experience, but I knew I wanted to continue my passion with the best company. I knew this was the place I wanted to excel at and climb the ladder of success.”
“I love working in the Bronx. I’m very familiar with the area and I like working in the field because you never know what to expect. Each day is different, but when a family member of a patient shows how much they appreciate your service or the patient thanks us repeatedly for helping during a time of need, the feeling is indescribable. Those moments make it all worth it. It’s a rewarding experience working here,” he added.
The FDNY is currently hiring for more first responders like EMT Monge. Learn more about our EMT and EMS Trainee job openings today here.
