FIRE ALARM DISPATCHER RALPH SAINT-ELOI
PSAC 1, Bureau of Communications
1. What is your name, title and years at FDNY? Where are you currently assigned, and what are your work-related responsibilities?
My name is Ralph Saint-Eloi. I am a fire alarm dispatcher assigned to Brooklyn. I’ve been with FDNY for eight years.
My work-related responsibilities are coordinating emergency responses and ensuring that the right resources are being sent to the right location at the right time, quickly.
2. What called you to a life of public service at FDNY?
I always had a calling to help others. Being in FDNY enables me to be at the right place at the right time to impact people’s lives positively.
3. Can you share one of your most memorable moments while working at FDNY?
I received a hysterical phone call from a mother. She reported there was a fire on the first floor, and she was on the second floor. I used my skills to obtain her address and to get her exact location in the house. As I was typing the information into the system, I yelled to the person at the radio that a mother and child were trapped in a bathroom on the second floor of a two-story private dwelling on the No. 1 side. I remained on the phone until the firefighters rescued her with her child. This crisis experience with a rescue stays with me to this day.
4. What does We Are FDNY mean to you?
It means that we are a big family that works together. We are made of highly skilled professionals who love what they do and impact people’s lives positively.
5. What is your superpower (best quality or skill)?
I feel that I can remain calm and make quick decisions in any circumstances. I assume all dispatchers possess these superpowers.
6. How does your role support the public safety mission of the FDNY?
My role as a fire alarm dispatcher is critical in saving lives to ensure that I coordinate emergency responses and that the right resources are being sent to the right location at the right time.