Holding a job for more than half a century is an incredible feat, especially when it’s stressful and demanding. Mel Reed spent his entire adult life dedicated to serving and saving the people of Boston. He retired Friday after 51 years with Boston EMS.”It doesn’t feel like it’s been a real long time. The years are flying by so fast,” he said. Reed, whose friends call him Doc, finished his final overnight shift early Friday. He started with a job at Boston City Hospital, where his title was “Ambulance Medical Aid.””If there was a call to get a patient, the ambulance would come from across the street, pick us up, take us to the call. But most of our training was done in the ER,” he said.Over the course of his career, Reed has worked in every neighborhood in the city. He says it’s the people that he’ll miss most. “Taking care of the people in all of those communities was enjoyable. In other words, it was what I was taught to do and I felt really comfortable doing it,” Reed said. Reed’s next chapter includes spending time with his grandkids and leaving old man winter behind. He says he has plans to move south soon.
Holding a job for more than half a century is an incredible feat, especially when it’s stressful and demanding.
Mel Reed spent his entire adult life dedicated to serving and saving the people of Boston. He retired Friday after 51 years with Boston EMS.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s been a real long time. The years are flying by so fast,” he said.
Reed, whose friends call him Doc, finished his final overnight shift early Friday.
He started with a job at Boston City Hospital, where his title was “Ambulance Medical Aid.”
“If there was a call to get a patient, the ambulance would come from across the street, pick us up, take us to the call. But most of our training was done in the ER,” he said.
Over the course of his career, Reed has worked in every neighborhood in the city. He says it’s the people that he’ll miss most.
“Taking care of the people in all of those communities was enjoyable. In other words, it was what I was taught to do and I felt really comfortable doing it,” Reed said.
Reed’s next chapter includes spending time with his grandkids and leaving old man winter behind. He says he has plans to move south soon.