All images: FDNY
On March 28, 2020, just eight days into the COVID19 pandemic, 911 received a record 6,527 calls in a single day.
The exhibition, Unmasking Our Heroes, will open on April 15 at New York City Fire Museum, and will remain on display until late August 2022.
The exhibition features dozens of poignant images – including a moving video in which FDNY EMTs and Paramedics reflect on their service during the last two years – as well artifacts curated from the public (including giant “thank you” signs) and other items that showcase the heroism and extraordinary efforts of New York City’s Paramedics, EMTs and Firefighters.
The Museum, which is committed to preserving the history of the FDNY, began curating the exhibition and seeking contributions from the public shortly after the pandemic began and New York City went into lockdown in March 2020. The new exhibition – which will comprise several gallery rooms at the Museum on Spring Street – also will feature an interactive component allowing the public to leave personal messages thanking EMS.
Newly promoted FDNY Captain Lorena Concepcion-Martinez, Division 9, has worked with the FDNY EMS for 20 years. “I enjoy helping people.” Her husband is also in the FDNY, with Ladder 164. During the height of the pandemic, Concepcion-Martinez, who worked primarily in the South Bronx and Queens, endured “16 hour shifts, we were so inundated with calls.” One instance that impacted her deeply was a call for a cardiac arrest. “The family had lost another member the day before. It took a huge emotional toll,” she remembers.
Michael Watenberg with the FDNY, Station 4. “The pandemic brought to light work we were doing.”
“I like jobs that are in the service of helping people,” explains Michael Watenberg, who has been an EMT in the Lower East Side for the past five years. His father is a retired police captain. “We were stationed at Pier 36, covering The East Village, Alphabet City. We had 12 hour tours. Days would start to blend together.” Despite the frantic conditions of COVID times and the nature of being an EMT, Watenberg loves his work.
“During this unprecedented time in the history of our city, state, and nation, we owe a debt of gratitude to members of our City’s Emergency Medical Service,” said Jennifer Brown, Executive Director of the New York City Fire Museum. “The men and women of FDNY were on the front lines, responding to countless calls. Their efforts illustrate the best of New York City: always rising to any challenge.”
New York City Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am-5pm. For more information and to get tickets, visit nycfiremuseum.org.