“Every day is a new challenge, and every patient provides a new story. From the moment you log on, you don’t know what to expect and that makes this job worth it,” said Station 19 Lieutenant Miguel Flores, who joined the Department in 1999. “I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in The Bronx. I became an EMT shortly after college and I fell in love with the environment that the EMS field provided. I worked as an EMT for the Department for a little over a year and then advanced my career by becoming a Paramedic in 2002, then a Lieutenant in 2016.”
Flores also often works with the FDNY Exploring Program, where teenagers get the opportunity to practice with equipment that is used daily by our EMTs, Paramedics and Firefighters.
“I like to help out with the Exploring Program whenever I can. We create mock scenarios for the Explorers and introduce them to the ins and outs of the ambulance, so they can become comfortable with all that the job entails. Taking what they learn from textbooks and applying it to real life helps the Explorers think outside the box and remain attentive at all times while learning how to be a future member of this Department,” Flores added.
In addition, the Lieutenant has served as the EMS Liaison for the FDNY Hispanic Society, which is one of the Department’s Affinity Organizations, for five years.
This past March, during a special visit with Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, Flores provided career advice to the FDNY Explorers at Station 19.
“As a Latino, I believe it’s important to represent who you are and the special qualities that being Hispanic brings to this field, and as a Liaison, I am able to do so for myself and for other EMS personnel in the Department,” he explained. “Many patients in which I have served in my community can breathe a sigh of relief when they see a Latino not only speaking Spanish to the community, but showing empathy to the patients. Working alongside the members of the Hispanic Society, I have been able to engage in frequent dialogues with school administrators, community boards, and local politicians. I have also with great honor been able to highlight what EMS does. I have made it my business to break down the stigma that EMS members are not just ambulance drivers. If you are interested in joining the FDNY, know that you are not just signing up for a new job, you are signing up for a rewarding career. The resources provided here can help you move up the ranks, further your education, and guide you to become the future of the Department.”
Learn more about working in our EMS today here. Read more about our Exploring Program here.
