ALBANY, NY — In some areas of New York, ambulance wait times are getting longer and longer, and a lack of volunteers and funding shortfalls have thrown emergency medical services (EMS) systems into crisis, the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) said recently in a press release. 

NYSAC and a coalition of state lawmakers, EMS providers and advocates have been working on a package of legislation to strengthen local EMS services.

The legislation is designed to provide local governments with the authority to create and fund countywide EMS services, provide financial incentives for EMS workers to enter and stay in the field, and update Medicaid reimbursement rates to reflect current needs and costs.

“All across the state, local EMS providers are in crisis due to rising costs and high demand for increasingly complex services,” said NYSAC president Daniel McCoy. “Counties are being asked to fill growing gaps in EMS services, but they lack the resources and authority to develop county-wide systems... We’ve developed a package of reforms that provide counties with the flexibility they need to ensure that when one of our residents calls for help, they can count on faster, more reliable, lifesaving service.”

NYSAC board member and Otsego County representative Meg Kennedy said rural communities are struggling to provide reliable access to emergency medical services, so counties are stepping up to the plate. “In response to overwhelming need, Otsego County launched its own countywide service in 2021, but continuously rising costs threaten the program’s sustainability. The ‘Rescue EMS’ package is critical to maintaining local EMS as it will drive down costs, provide county EMS with dedicated funding, and support both the professional and volunteer EMS workforce.”