Our Mission
Treat every patient as if they were our own family
We are paramedics who live and work in San Francisco; our duty to the citizens is to care for every patient equitably, as if they were our neighbor or relative. Members of the community benefit from healthcare providers who make an effort to truly understand them.
San Francisco Life Line was created by a group of bilingual Asian American and minority paramedics who know the struggle of finding culturally competent care in today's healthcare system. So much of quality medical care is contingent upon being able to understand the full context of an individual's lifestyle and risk factors.
In the prehospital setting, we meet many complex patients whose medication lists, EKG strips, vital signs, and mental/physical assessment findings require careful interpretation. First responders must often play detective and put the patient's statements together with environmental clues to form a picture of what kind of medical event is happening.
When the patient is nonverbal, incapacitated, or unable to communicate their needs, a piece of the puzzle is lost. With San Francisco Life Line, all of the participating patients' pertinent medical information is stored at home in one streamlined form.
Where It All Started
With over half of the SFLL team being children of Cantonese immigrants, we consistently found ourselves being the only emergency medical workers who could communicate with elderly Cantonese-speaking patients. Chinese Americans make up twenty two percent of the City's population. Historically, San Francisco has been home to Cantonese speakers for over 150 years; however, the Cantonese dialect is far less spoken than Mandarin and less likely to be taught in schools. Senior Cantonese residents are an under-served population due to factors such as economic insecurity, limited access to routine preventative care, and social isolation, factors that were all worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the uncertainty of a health crisis, clear communication reduces confusion and distress. Many patients are put at ease when they realize we speak their language.
There's no guarantee that paramedics responding to your emergency will speak Cantonese, Spanish, Russian, or American Sign Language. While other counties in the Bay Area already have a "vial of life" program to store and identify medical information, San Francisco Life Line goes one step further to address the various language needs of our citizens.
About the Life LineTeam
Dedication. Community. Passion.
Founder & Director of Operations
Nicholas Koo
Nicholas was born in Hong Kong and is currently a paramedic for the San Francisco Fire Department. Having been in EMS since 2013, Nicholas has served in multiple roles including being a Critical Care Flight Paramedic for the US Army. Nicholas has completed his BA in Psychology and his MA in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco. Nicholas has a passion for community service and helping break barriers to care for the AAPI Community.
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Emily Tam
Emily is a true SF native and is currently a paramedic for the San Francisco Fire Department in the Community Paramedic division. She is a Lowell alumnus and graduated from SJSU with a BS in Nutrition and Food Science. After realizing that emergency medicine was more her speed, she attended CCSF and has worked in EMS since 2014. Emily also sells art to fund various charitable endeavors such as distributing food, water, clothes, and hygiene kits to the homeless.
Co-Founder & Director of Administrative Operations
Jacquelyn Blumeyer
Jacquelyn has been an EMS provider in San Francisco since 2017 and was hired as a paramedic for the San Francisco Fire Department in 2022. Jacquelyn has a BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from CSULB. Returning to school to become an EMT and subsequently a Paramedic, Jacquelyn has been able to fuel her passion for helping the community. Since working for the Fire Department, she and her coworkers saw an opportunity to better serve the diverse community of San Francisco by providing a resource to bridge gaps in communication. “Life Line is a chance for me and other first responders to be able to better help the diverse community we serve.”
Director of Community Outreach
Melody Mui
A Bay Area native, Melody is currently a paramedic for the San Francisco Fire Department and previously worked as a paramedic for American Medical Response in San Mateo County. Melody has a strong passion for serving the community in which she was raised, and spearheaded translating SFLL materials into Chinese.
Community Outreach
Michael Leyva
Having worked for the Richmond Area Multi-Services for more than 10 years, Michael has served countless at-risk San Franciscans throughout the years. Michael brings many years of community outreach and advocacy experience to the Life Line team. Pursuing a passion for emergency medicine, Michael is a current paramedic student at the City College of San Francisco, completing his requirements for paramedic licensure.
Community Liaison / Team Member
Ada Wong
Having been in EMS for more than a decade. Ada is currently serving as a Rescue Captain at the San Francisco Fire Department. Ada has a passion for helping the AAPI community
Advisor
Seb Wong
A retired EMS Chief from the San Francisco Fire Department, Seb now serves as a advisor to the Life Line Project, assisting them in expanding their project and helping it break barriers in the AAPI community
Community Liaison / SFFD Liaison
Andrew Lim
Andrew is currently serving as a Firefighter Paramedic. Andrew serves as a liaison to the suppression division of SFFD. Andrew has a passion for helping those in minority communities. Andrew is also currently the director of the Asian Firefighters Association.
Director of Public Health Education
Hoi Kit Cheung
Hoi, a Hong Kong born San Francisco native, has been an EMS provider in the City and County of San Francisco since 2019. He earned a BS in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Puget Sound. After noticing the various health disparities faced by San Francisco’s most vulnerable, he recognized the quickest way to help his immediate community is by pursuing higher education. He is a paramedic, who is also completing an MPH with a Community Health emphasis from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Administrative Advisor
Donna Lew
Donna currently serves as an administrative advisor to the Life Line Project, providing her years of administrative expertise in assisting the project's progress. Donna has a passion for creating powerful partnerships that encourage healthy living in the multicultural community
Director of Volunteer Recruitment
Joseph Wu
Joseph Wu is currently serving the community as a Paramedic with the San Francisco Fire Department’s EMS Division at Station 49. Joseph is a first-generation Chinese American that was born and raised in San Francisco. He is fluent in Cantonese and received his high school Cantonese diploma from Cumberland Chinese High School. Joseph received his Neuroscience Degree B.S. at the University of California Santa Cruz in June 2016. Shortly after graduation, he got accepted into Foothill’s Paramedic program and obtained his certification in June 2018.