PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Fire Department medic units are seen all the time on city streets. If they seem constantly on the move, it's not your imagination. All of them are busy, but one medic unit has been deemed the busiest in the nation.
Medic 8, based at Engine 25's station in Kensington, had 10,096 runs in 2019. Paramedic James Lee said he takes it in stride.
"I mean honestly, it's just doing our job. If a call comes out in our local and we just happen to be available we just jump on it. It's all about station pride," he said.
"We get a lot of overdoses, which is actually quite a shame. We get a lot of traumas, medical emergencies."
Lee said what makes his day is when he rolls up on a call, and can jump off the truck and make a difference.
"Especially when you have someone who really desperately needs some help and you can do something about it. Later on you may run into them and you just see the gratitude. It gives you a boost," he shared.
Another boost, according to Lee, comes from being part of a team.
"That's a huge part of it. You can always lean on your brothers and sisters on the job. They are the ones that understand what you are going through. What you have seen, what you've dealt, what you've felt."
Fire Paramedic Deputy Chief Eric Crouch says this spirit of dedication is not unique to Medic 8.
"In EMS in general, and especially when you are busy like that and with the challenges we face, you have to have a passion for the job and to help people and to help the community," he said. "I know the men and women of Medic 8 and the men and women around the city in the Philadelphia Fire Department have that passion ... we are just so proud of them."
"We all love the station, we all love the area," said Lee. "That's what actually keeps us coming in. just pride and doing a good job at the end of the day."