News articles from May 2025
Staten Island Advance
Staten Island EMT who lost leg in near-fatal crash is honored with heroism award
By Kyle Lawson | May 31, 2025
Standing in full uniform, a Staten Island EMT who lost part of her leg in a 2022 crash was honored Thursday with an FDNY EMS award for heroism.
Ashley Diaz, of New Dorp, was one of several local heroes recognized by union leadership at the Local 2507 50th Anniversary Gala, held in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. The union represents FDNY EMTs, paramedics and fire inspectors.
In accepting the Yadira Arroyo Heroism Award — named after an EMT who died in the line of duty in 2017, and given to those who exhibit valor and bravery — Diaz thanked everyone who has supported her in what has been an arduous, yearslong recovery process — including the FDNY EMS community.
“It has meant everything to me and my family,” said Diaz.
The union also honored attorney Michael Barasch, a managing partner at Barasch & McGarry. The law firm has helped more than 50,000 individuals impacted by 9/11.
Diaz was off duty on Sept. 15, 2022, when an impaired driver slammed into her just steps from her home.
“On the day of this incident, the hospital was filled with
EMS personnel praying for her survival,” said Local 2507 President Oren
Barzilay before calling Diaz to the stage. Her story, Barzilay continued, is an “inspiration” to her
colleagues and anyone who has been a victim of a life altering injury.
Crash took Staten Island EMTs leg, but not her spirit. Now, she finds a new way to save lives
By Kyle Lawson | May 29, 2025
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A catastrophic injury resulting from a crash in 2022 robbed Ashley Diaz of her leg, and her livelihood as a first responder.
Her fighting spirit, however, remains somehow intact.
Amid what’s proven to be a grueling recovery process, Diaz, of New Dorp, continues to save lives in a new role with the FDNY, while at the same time raising a 7-year-old son as a single mother.
“Despite this personal tragedy, Ashley’s continued work as an FDNY EMT illustrates her deep commitment to helping the people of New York and we are grateful for her service,” said Oren Barzilay, president of the Local 2507 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.