Dear Union City,

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:

To: Brian P. Stack <[email address]>

March 2026

Subject: EMS Complaint

Mayor Stack,

I am writing this anonymously as a former Union City EMS employee because I am honestly disappointed and frustrated by what I experienced there. I loved the work itself. Serving the residents, working high-volume calls, and being part of an active municipal EMS system was something I took pride in every day. Union City EMS has the potential to be one of the best agencies in this region. The problem is not the job, it is the internal climate that has driven so many good people away. Particularly EMS Supervisor Yanci Gutierrez. From my own experience, and from what I witnessed happening to others, the work environment became extremely difficult to tolerate because of EMS Supervisor Yanci's behavior that many of us felt was hostile, demeaning, and unnecessarily confrontational. Instead of building morale and supporting crews in a stressful profession, the atmosphere often felt tense and intimidating. Over time, it wore people down. Many strong EMTs left not because they wanted to, but because they felt they could not continue working under those conditions. Yanci comes to work behaving she can do anything to any employee and not be held accountable because of her husband.

The reputation this has created is very real. Word spreads quickly in EMS across the state. I personally know of qualified applicants who chose not to pursue employment with Union City after hearing about internal issues with Yanci. One prospective applicant even told me after an interview that she felt uncomfortable with how the process was handled and with comments from Yanci, in her view how why applicants are being sent from your office when in fact only the staff conducting the interview can hire staff. A serious lack of professionalism.
Whether intended or not, interactions like that leave a lasting impression and discourage people from wanting to join the department.
It is deeply frustrating because the rest of the agency, the crews on the street, are dedicated professionals who deserve leadership that brings stability, fairness, and respect. Not personal harassment and bullying by Yanci and the protection of her husband. When one supervisory dynamic becomes the primary reason employees resign or avoid applying, that becomes a serious operational and public-safety concern. The agency is wonderful overall but when she is working, she is the only person who creates conflict. Look at the history of complaints from all current and former employees.
The rumor is any previously filed pd-11's against her, have been removed from her personnel file to keep it "clean"

I am asking you to take a hard look at Yanci's history. Not statements from Jose or George or Bergbaugher. Take a hard look behind the lies they are telling you, the overall culture within the EMS division and the conflicts she creates. A thorough and honest review could help restore confidence, improve recruitment, and allow the agency to finally reach its full potential.
I hope that a meaningful change can happen. The staff deserve the removal or transfer of this bad apple of the agency. The agency will continue with this bad reputation if she is not removed from creating all these issues. She is a liability to the agency. Please listen to the front line staff, not management.

Respectfully,
A former Union City EMS employee

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,

Nepotism