Al Tortorella, Paramedic, on his journey from “Corporate America” to Meaningful Work and High Quality of Life at NDP EMS
We recently caught up with Al Tortorella, Paramedic, whose journey demonstrates the fact that when we make choices driven by a desire to help others, we help ourselves as well.
The earlier years of Al’s career were spent in the logistics industry, where he managed executive relocations. But as a longtime EMS volunteer, he knew he wanted to use his time to make a more meaningful impact. Several years ago, Al courageously made the move, shifting from “corporate life” to his full-time work in emergency medical services. He exudes joy as he talks about how the move has led to a high quality of life that most people yearn for - and how life at NDP EMS is both exhilarating AND rewarding.
Here’s more:
Al, tell us a bit about your background.
I was born out on Long Island in East Patchogue, New York, and then we relocated to San Pedro, California. When I was 10 years old, we moved to Norwalk, Connecticut. After high school graduation, I went on to Mount Saint Mary’s College in Maryland, a school most people know for its awesome basketball record! I graduated in 1983.
Walk us through your professional journey.
In 1988, I became an EMT, and spent most of my time in New Canaan Connecticut. In 2000, I was still volunteering in EMS when we moved to Sharon, Connecticut - which is not far from the Hudson Valley.
Originally I had hopes of becoming a teacher or a Physician’s Assistant - but I kept hitting roadblocks in terms of prerequisites needed for those paths - and learned that you have to listen to the clues that life sends you. I knew that I’d need several more years of schooling to pursue one of those options (and wasn’t sure being a PA was really for me anyway) - but I loved EMS work and so the ultimate decision to become a Paramedic has been an ideal fit.
How did you make your way to NDP EMS?
Living in Sharon, Connecticut, I am only 10 minutes from NDP’s Millerton station, and most of the stations are within a half hour of my home. Even the NDP EMS headquarters in Rhinebeck is only 45-50 minutes away. It was so much more convenient than what I had experienced in my logistics job, where I had to do a great deal of travel. I definitely appreciate the opportunity to be close to home.
It is so beautiful up here - and as part of my daily work, I get to drive scenic roads every day with incredible views! I really love seeing all of the vistas as we ride out to various calls each day. It’s no surprise that when Covid hit everyone wanted to move up here. My wife has referred to this area as “God’s Country” and I couldn’t agree more. I get to enjoy it every single day as part of my work and feel very lucky for that.
In what other ways has working at NDP EMS improved your quality of life?
In addition to enjoying the beautiful drives, there are SO many things that make it different and much better than my experience working in “Corporate America.” We have very flexible scheduling options - literally a shift for everyone. My kids are grown so I can work as many hours as I’d like, but if you have young children you can easily work very part-time and pick shifts that make sense for whatever phase of life you’re in.
I also really enjoy our team at NDP EMS. We have a lot of fun together; it’s a great atmosphere. We’re all out trying to make a difference for people - and it doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do and you love the people.
What do you love most about your work at NDP EMS?
You never know what you’re going to get involved in on any day - it could be anything, anywhere! Every day is different but we are trained to handle whatever comes up and I really love the variety of this work.
NDP EMS is committed to making sure that we all have the right training, tools, colleagues, and state-of-the-art equipment to do our jobs well. They have invested in the most up-to-date technology and our leadership is always behind us.
And, as mentioned, the flexible scheduling is really helpful to everyone who works here - that is what really gives us the high quality of life that everyone wants.
I also think that our workplace culture is special; I think most of us feel that this is our “chosen family” outside of our home lives. Particularly your partner. Your partner is everything! Constantly bouncing ideas off one another - from medical decisions to questions like, “how are we going to get out of this driveway?!” Or my favorite: “What are we going to do for food?” There’s a nice balance between feeling independent and being part of a team. It’s definitely not your typical job - which is what I find the most appealing!
Al and his wife Electra have been married for 28 years; they have two adult children. 26-year-old William lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is training to become a PJ in the US Air Force. Daughter Katherine, who is 25, lives in Houston, Texas.
Learn more about career opportunities with NDP EMS by visiting ndpems.com.
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