False promises on EMS

To the editor:

Last month, 2,254 patients across NYC, suffering life-threatening medical emergencies waited more than 20 minutes for FDNY Emergency Medical Services paramedics to arrive. In April, the NYC Council had stated, "Addressing pay disparities is critical to stabilizing the EMS workforce and maintaining reliable emergency response citywide."

And earlier this year, the FDNY's own Commissioner Tucker acknowledged: “Our EMS system has operated on an unsustainable model for years, and without immediate attention and proper investment it could soon collapse.” 

On Monday this week, just 76 percent of FDNY ambulances targeted to be in service were available to deliver trained emergency medical personnel to patients calling 911 for help.

Since 2019 , the City Council has been issuing yearly proclamations calling for pay parity for FDNY EMS personnel. As Council members, among those who signed onto the 2019 resolution are: Speaker Adrienne Adams and city Comptroller Brad Ladner, both candidates for mayor; Jumaane Williams, who is seeking re-election as public advocate; and Justin Brannan, the chair of the Council’s Finance Committee, and Mark Levine, the Manhattan Borough president, both candidates for comptroller.  

The City Council has proposed "allocating $50 million in baseline funding to begin addressing long-standing pay disparities between Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and their counterparts in both the firefighting ranks and other major U.S. cities." 

It's now budget-battle season and primary election time in NYC. New Yorkers will know by month's end whether the current mayor and Council as well the candidates for the next mayor and Council have delivered on their words. Will they have taken the necessary action to fix the funding problems for the FDNY EMS? Or will New Yorkers in urgent need of emergency medical help continue to suffer delays and the health consequences for years of inaction?

Helen Northmore