NEW YORK — Jonathan Kleisner spent nearly two decades on Wall Street, where he built a career that brought in millions. But despite the financial success, he was unfulfilled.
“I was a person who created nothing, gave nothing to anybody,” Kleisner, now 55, told The New York Times.
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At age 41, he made a dramatic pivot. He left finance and enrolled in EMS training with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). What began as a way to escape the stress of Wall Street soon became a calling.
Kleisner started as an EMT before moving up the ranks. Within a few years, he had become a paramedic and eventually joined the FDNY’s specialized rescue medic unit. Out of more than 4,500 EMS providers at FDNY, fewer than 60 serve as rescue medics. Kleisner is also one of the instructors who trains others for the role.
The transition from Wall Street to EMS wasn’t just about trading money for meaning. Kleisner says the adrenaline, fast decisions and competitive edge he had in finance translated naturally into emergency medicine.
He has responded to emergencies across New York City — from Broadway theaters to skyscraper observation decks — and says the toughest calls often stay with him.
Kleisner acknowledges that many EMS providers don’t have access to regular mental health support. Unlike most, he can afford therapy and the chance to step away to his Catskills cabin. But even with those advantages, he says the trauma of the work never disappears.
“That’s a misguided concept, processing all this trauma,” he told “The New York Times.” “It’s not going anywhere. You have to learn how to live with all of this.”
For Kleisner, leaving Wall Street wasn’t about slowing down. It was about channeling his drive into something that matters. More than a decade later, he’s still responding to New York City’s toughest emergencies, determined to be one of the best.
Kleisner spoke in detail about his transition from finance to FDNY in a profile published by The New York Times.
