A NYC Council hearing on Tuesday addressed the growing concerns surrounding ambulance response times in New York City. A recent comptroller report found that FDNY ambulance response times increased by more than 40% in 2026 compared with 2015. Additionally, call times to emergency responders have also increased by 11%, from 1.03 million to 1.14 million.
The report noted that fixes would need to take a “multifaceted” approach, involving solutions that address EMT turnover rates, staffing issues, working conditions, and more, noting that most EMS workers are underpaid, with wages reflecting numbers from 2022.
“The Department is currently engaged in a challenging period of increasing response times. We know this is unacceptable, and we are working tirelessly to reverse this trend,” said the spokesperson.
In a statement to reporters, after being questioned by NYC Councilmembers Tuesday morning, the FDNY pledged to reverse these response time issues, calling them “unacceptable.” The organization promises to work on addressing its many communication issues with the Police Department and with hospitals to ensure these processes go more smoothly and clearly.
“We are truly facing a crisis regarding our EMS teams who are obviously part of FDNY. These teams save lives, yet they are understaffed, and they are underpaid. And this city council is very serious about this issue,” said City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola announced the plan for a bill that would require an emergency notification to be issued by the New York City Emergency Management when FDNY has more than 25 ambulances dispatched at a time.
