The Fire Department has formally notified five veteran Emergency Medical Technicians that their last day on the job will be the “close of business” March 29 because they were provisional employees and not permanent civil servants.
“You are required to return all Department-issued equipment and I.D. badges,” stated the letter signed by Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro, “Any reimbursement of final monies owed to you will be withheld until all property is returned.” “It is so disheartening for me to read this after putting in 12 ½ years of dedicated service—sacrificing time with friends and family helping total strangers,” said EMT Michael O’Neil, 41, who was one of the five terminated. “I thought they might put something in there like ‘thanks for your service’ or ‘good luck in your future endeavors.’”