We often hear about firefighters and police officers running into dangerous situations, but a pair of EMS workers are being praised for putting themselves in harm's way by preventing a man from killing his former boss. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.

Emergency medical technicians save lives every day, but not this way: taking down a man waving knives.

EMTs Ryan Gref and Bruce Fonseca, who are based in Station Four in Lower Manhattan, were responding to a 911 call on East 14th Street Wednesday night when they came across a different emergency.

"I noticed one male holding two sushi knives and trying to stab another person," Gref said. 

"We noticed that there was some commotion, tussling and screaming about 50 feet away from us, across the block," Fonseca said.

It happened at a sushi restaurant.  Workers didn't want to talk on camera.

Fonseca and Gref, who are part of the hazardous and tactical unit, as well as the EMS rescue team for active shooters, said they knew they had to do something to save the restaurant owner. 

Meminger: If you didn't intervene, what do you think would have happened?
Gref: I think he would have been stabbed. He would have been stabbed in the neck.

So he distracted the man with the knives.

"I yelled to catch the guy off guard, and I grabbed the knives from the guy," Gref said.

They then called police.

The EMTs say they learned the alleged attacker had been fired from the restaurant.  

People may not think about it, but the EMTs say they are often in dangerous situations.

"I had to get physical before with persons who were pretty much under the influence of drugs or alcohol," Fonseca said.

"Multiple times that I have had weapons pulled on me. I've seen shootings happen. I've showed up on shootings while they are still going on," Gref siad.

Their union says the EMTs should be saluted for their bravery.

Israel Miranda, Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors Union: Our members do a very dangerous job and run into situations where the police department may not be on the scene. And sometimes, you have to take action.
Meminger: And that's what they did here?
Miranda: That's what they did.

The NYPD says the man who had the knives was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and menacing.