End of the Watch: Lt. Bill Sullivan’s Final Shift”
New Bedford EMS bids farewell to a legend
After 37 years of service, Paramedic Lieutenant Bill Sullivan stepped out of his supervisor truck for the final time as the early Saturday morning rose over New Bedford. The air was thick with emotion—pride, gratitude, and the kind of quiet sadness that comes only when a true era ends.
Lt. Sullivan didn’t ask for a ceremony. “Just another shift,” he told the crew. But everyone at New Bedford EMS knew this wasn’t just another shift. It was the last ride of a paramedic who had become a mentor, a leader, and a steady hand in the most chaotic moments this city had seen.
From the early days in the late ‘80s, when EMS ran with paper reports and two ambulances , to today’s high-tech ambulances and rapid-response systems, Bill was there for all of it. He trained generations of EMTs and paramedics. Stories of his calm under pressure and work ethic became legend—whether it was a cardiac emergency , automobile accident, trauma, rescues, or helping deliver babies in apartment stairwells.
On his final shift, it started with a young man who was found in cardiac arrest , bill and his team went to work and saved the young mans life , not a bad accomplishment for your last day , later dispatch gave him an easier call—an elderly patient needed help on Cottage Street. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of everyday call that Bill had always handled with compassion and professionalism. As he wheeled the patient to the stretcher, the woman smiled and said, “You look like someone who’s been doing this a long time.”
Bill smiled back. “Just about 37 years.”
Paramedic Sullivan would prefer to stay out of the spotlight , just getting him to pose for a picture for this article was a struggle , truth is Bill is happy being simple man who just wants to do his job and take care of people. After all, that’s what Bill always does , he helps people. He does it quietly, never looking for a pat on the back and he never complains about doing it. New Bedford EMS wishes you well , our agency is better because of you and we hope you enjoy your retirement.