New class of EMTs graduates, paramedics promoted into leadership positions

BOSTON — Most of the time, EMS workers meet people on some of the worst days of their lives.

It’s a job that carries a lot of responsibility. It can be emotional, unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous. But for Boston’s newest EMTs and newly promoted paramedics, it can also be incredibly rewarding.

For paramedic Meghan Keough, the ceremony marking the promotions was emotional.

“It’s a special moment for all of us, I think,” Keough said.

Keough said she was drawn to EMS because she wanted a career centered around helping others.

“I’ve always wanted a job where I could help people, and I thought this was the perfect job,” she said. “I’m out in the street, able to take care of people, and that’s just been something that’s super special to me.”

That desire to help is also what brought new EMT Brianna McIntyre to the job.

“I always wanted to help people,” McIntyre said. “I knew that was something that I wanted to do, and I thought giving back to my city would be my biggest opportunity to do it.”

However, she also understands the responsibility that comes with answering someone’s call for help.

“It’s a heavy weight to have on your shoulders,” McIntyre said.

New EMT Jasharee Greene said part of the job is remembering that while an emergency may be another call for an EMT, for the person calling 911, it can be one of the worst moments of their life.

“Stay calm during the chaos, understanding that it is their worst days and they are looking to us for that support, that help, that treatment,” Greene said.

“Even if they are having a bad day, I really want to make sure they are not alone, and I want to be there for them.”

Boston EMS Chief Jim Hooley said that responsibility becomes very real when EMTs and paramedics walk through the door.

“You’re the one walking into somebody’s living room at 11 o’clock at night and, you know, dad’s having trouble breathing,” Hooley said. “Everyone is looking at you to help them, to make them better, to help make decisions.”

Hooley said those experiences can also build confidence.

“You come in with that confidence and that knowledge,” he said. “Those are once-in-a-lifetime events that you get to be a part of. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it makes you stronger for the next one.”

The job also comes with risks.

The union says there were more than 1,000 assaults on emergency crews in the last year alone.

“Unfortunately, there are risks, but I agree with our union that there’s never a time where you should be assaulting us, our medics, our staff at all,” Keough said.

Paramedic Baird Lashley said the possibility of getting hurt isn’t necessarily what EMS workers are thinking about when they enter the profession.

“You don’t come into this job worrying about getting hurt or the dangers, but it’s always there,” Lashley said. “We always do our best to take care of one another and to keep ourselves safe in situations.”

He said EMS workers also approach calls knowing most people understand they are there to help.

“We kind of give everybody the benefit of the doubt that they are going to be supportive of us being there,” Lashley said.

Safety is also a major part of training for Boston’s newest EMTs.

“They train us really well,” Greene said, describing training that teaches recruits to pay close attention to a patient’s positioning and behavior and recognize warning signs that could indicate a situation is escalating.

McIntyre said recruits are trained to balance their own safety with the needs and dignity of the patient.

“We have a lot of training on safety and how to best and properly, while respecting the dignity and rights of a human being, if it’s a medical emergency, how we can best help those patients while protecting ourselves and our partners,” she said.

Hooley explained the department puts a lot into that training because it doesn’t want to see EMTs or paramedics injured.

He also believes there should be consequences when someone who knows better intentionally attacks an EMS worker, while drawing a distinction for patients who may not understand what they are doing.

“There should be repercussions for people’s actions,” Hooley said. “I’m not talking about the 80-year-old with dementia who strikes you. You know, of course, what can you do? But for somebody who should know better, who should be responsible, you can’t say, ‘Sorry, I was drunk.’ No.”

Despite the risks and difficult calls, the people doing the job say there are moments that remind them why they chose it.

“We do see some pretty tough calls, and we do hold some of those calls with us,” Keough said. “But I think on the flip side there are some wonderful calls. We get to deliver babies, we get to see life come into this world, so you also remember those moments as well.”

For people just starting out, Lashley offered a piece of advice that has come from his own experience.

“You don’t know it all,” he said. “Just keep learning, and learn from your mistakes as well.”

Altogether, the promoted paramedics have more than 160 years of experience, while 20 new EMTs are just beginning their careers.

For both the veterans and the newest members of Boston EMS, it’s a career built around showing up for people when they need help most.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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