NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — New York City lawmakers will take a closer look Tuesday at growing concerns over ambulance delays across the five boroughs as two City Council committees hold a joint oversight hearing on emergency response times.
The City Council’s Committees on Hospitals and Fire and Emergency Management are scheduled to examine the increase in ambulance response times and hear testimony on the issue. Lawmakers will also consider legislation that would require the city to notify the public whenever the FDNY’s EMS system has more than 25 pending ambulance dispatches at one time.
The proposed measure, Introduction 990, was sponsored by Joann Ariola and would require New York City Emergency Management to issue alerts during significant EMS backlogs.
The hearing comes as emergency response times have come under increased scrutiny. A recent report from the New York City comptroller found that response times for life-threatening emergencies have increased by 41% over the past decade, rising by nearly four minutes.
The issue gained renewed attention after a Queens family said their 14-year-old son waited about an hour for emergency medical assistance while suffering a stroke despite multiple 911 calls. According to the family, no ambulance arrived, and they ultimately drove him to a hospital themselves, where doctors diagnosed him with a rare stroke.
The FDNY has acknowledged the problem and said it is working to improve staffing.
“We know this is unacceptable and we are working tirelessly to reverse this trend,” the department said.
In a statement addressing the Queens case, an FDNY spokesperson said the department is conducting “a thorough investigation into the 911 response” and reviewing how the calls were handled, classified and dispatched.
The hearing is expected to focus on the causes of the delays, the impact on emergency patients and possible solutions for improving response times citywide.
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