Gov. Hochul vetoes bill requiring 2-person EMS crews in NYC, citing cost and staffing issues

Despite concerns over rising 911 response times and chronic EMS staffing shortages, New Yorkers shouldn’t expect to see more ambulance workers anytime soon.

Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill this month that would have required New York City ambulances to be staffed by two qualified medical first responders, which supporters say could have improved response times and worker safety. FDNY officials said they urged the governor to reject the bill, warning it would result in fewer ambulances on the streets and longer response times.

The legislation was inspired by the fatal 2022 stabbing of FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo, who was working alone in a city-issued vehicle when she was attacked outside her station house in Queens. She was 61.

The bill, which passed unanimously in both the state Senate and Assembly, would have amended public health law to require that all 911 responses in cities with more than 1 million residents include at least two certified EMS personnel, including on ambulances and supervisors’ vehicles.

In an Oct. 16 veto memo, Hochul said the proposed law would impose an unsustainable cost on the city. She estimated it would require hiring 290 more EMTs at an additional annual cost of $25 million.

“The safety of our emergency medical service personnel is of critical importance,” Hochul wrote. “However, the requirements set forth in this bill would pose both a fiscal and workforce issue for New York City, which has indicated it would have to reassign emergency medical technicians to supervisory vehicles, resulting in fewer ambulances to be in service.”

A spokesperson for Hochul said she supports the intent of the bill but believes it would ultimately reduce ambulance availability and endanger patients. The spokesperson also said Hochul remains committed to supporting EMS workers and has expanded resources for emergency services during her administration.

The veto drew swift criticism from local officials and EMS unions. City Councilmember Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat who has pushed for EMS to be separated from the FDNY’s control, said the decision reinforced a system that devalues EMS workers.

Brannan said he had “no idea why politicians continue to diss EMS like this.”

“I’m afraid this only further makes it clear that we have a tiered system of first responders in New York City and EMS is at the bottom of the pile,” he said. “Not one FDNY officer rides solo, so why should EMS supervisors?”

FDNY EMS Local 2507, the union representing more than 4,000 EMTs and paramedics, called Hochul’s decision “devastating.”

“This was common-sense legislation to help protect the men and women who protect our city,” said Oren Barzilay, the union’s president. “For years we’ve been hearing about EMTs and paramedics being assaulted. Some have been permanently disabled. Others have been murdered.”

Barzilay’s union noted that just 14% of the FDNY’s $2.6 billion budget currently goes toward EMS, down from 16.2% last fiscal year.

“How do you put money before the safety of my men and women?” Barzilay said.

FDNY officials said that ambulances are already staffed with two responders and that supervisors typically respond in separate vehicles to provide guidance, not to serve as backup on-scene.

They added that complying with the bill would require hiring 290 additional EMTs, personnel the department doesn’t currently have due to ongoing staffing shortages.

The bill’s veto also drew condemnation from Anthony Almojera, an FDNY EMS lieutenant and a leader of Local 3621, the officers’ union.

“Every day, our officers operate alone in unpredictable, often dangerous environments, responsible for both their crews and the public,” Almojera said. “Turning down a bill that would protect them is a failure of leadership and a betrayal of the people who keep this city alive — literally.”

According to Local 2507, the FDNY has responded to about 1.9 million emergencies so far this year, and nearly 86% of those, roughly 1.6 million, were EMS calls.

The veto comes as EMS unions continue to clash with the FDNY over contract terms and working conditions, including low wages and burnout. At least 14 EMS members have died by suicide in the past five years, as previously reported by Gothamist.

FDNY officials said the department is actively recruiting and hiring EMTs, but warned that staffing pressures are likely to worsen in the coming years as more personnel seek promotions or leave the service.