To keep answering medical calls, firefighters need help

When a New Yorker confronts a medical emergency, they can dial 911 and expect an ambulance to arrive. What they may not notice, however, is that the responding ambulance often bears the logo of the local fire department rather than a hospital or other standalone agency that provides only emergency medical services.

In fact, much of the ambulance coverage in New York state is provided by fire departments, many of which are smaller and staffed with volunteers. These fire departments are responding to an ever-growing volume of medical calls, with many now handling more EMS than fire runs. Staffing an ambulance requires a significant investment in personnel, equipment, training and time, and this investment is causing an affordability crisis in the fire service.

Simply put, EMS calls, in which a patient is transported to a hospital or other health care facility, are expensive and time-consuming to run. They are cost-prohibitive, especially for smaller, rural fire departments that are already stretched thin. This is not a question of willingness — firefighters and EMTs proudly and gladly answer the call whenever, wherever, and however often it comes — but rather an acknowledgement of the harsh reality. Providing ambulance service is expensive, and unless something changes many fire departments simply will not be able to continue to do so.

There is a simple solution to this problem. State Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, and Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay, are sponsoring legislation (S. 0363A / A. 7717A) that allows fire departments to recover the costs of running EMS calls without raising any taxes. One source of untapped funds is patients' existing health care policies. The money recovered would be used to ensure that ambulances can continue to operate with sufficient staffing and be available whenever they are needed.

This is not a new concept. Every EMS provider in New York is already permitted to do this, with the singular exception of fire departments. Allowing fire departments to do so as well would allow for parity among the many EMS agencies in the state. Importantly, it would help those fire departments that so often serve as the backbone of many towns and villages across the state, and are such a cherished part of our culture and heritage.

The legislation has been carefully crafted to minimize the cost to New Yorkers. Recovering costs is not a mandate, but rather an option for those fire departments that need it. Cost recovery will ensure that ambulances are properly staffed 24/7/365 by allowing fire departments to hire paid EMTs as needed, while also likely yielding improved response times.

As the leaders of two of the largest fire service organizations in the state, we call on Albany to rapidly pass this bill and send it to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his signature. Little's and Jones' bipartisan sponsorship of this critical legislation demonstrates this is not a partisan issue, but rather a public safety issue that matters to every voter. New Yorkers deserve emergency medical help when they need it, and this bill will help ensure that fire departments can continue providing lifesaving services.