.Ahhhh yes, FDNY, the holy grail of EMS.... in New York City... and only in NYC...
Honestly, FDNY is the only reason that I'd move east from LA lol, and unless their single role EMTs make 10 an hour being told what to do by engine guys every call, it wouldn't be a step down for me lol,
actually most of their engine guys won't tell you what to do, they don't want to be there, and they are only first responders, so once you show it, it's your game.
I have known many former FDNY EMS people, and have worked with many (both super high ups and field staff)..... at the end of the day, it's just another job, and many still have side jobs that they work on their days off (or on their night shifts, when they should be ho. Many of the ambulance personnel are using it as a shortcut to the fire side (which, as mentioned, is 100% better). There used to be a website (
http://www.fdnysucks.com/) that documented many of the issues, told by an unnamed FDNY paramedic, but it has (unfortunately) shut down.
although it's a little outdated, the content about this is pretty much the same:
https://emtlife.com/threads/new-yorks-poorest.7686/
To be fair, FDNY does give you some of the best training available, and they do give you the ability to be more than just a regular ambulance EMT or paramedic.. They do give you some nice equipment to play with. When it's available, and when it's working.
But many of the issues in the previous link are still highly prevalent:
http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/6839-killing-of-fdny-emt-spotlights-issues-for-unsung-profession
BTW, many to most of the employees at FDNY EMS live in the surrounding boroughs (they can't afford to live in manhattan), live with family, work copious amounts of OT to makes ends meet, or have three or four "roomates" who all sign the lease but they actually live in NJ, or long island and commute into work.
I currently live upstate NY, working part-time as an EMT. I'll be finishing my paramedic course June/2017. I'd like to move to NYC this summer. I will be taking the upcoming EMT civil service test for FDNY, but I'd like to find a paramedic position outside of FDNY while I wait to hear back. Can anyone give me an idea of how difficult it may be to find a paramedic job in NYC?
Get a job as a paramedic in new jersey, you'll make much more $$$$ run fewer BLS calls, and the cost of living will be much lower than in NYC. And if you still want to work for FDNY EMS, you will have a decent paying job to pay the bills while you wait to be called.