EMS response times rise 41% as staffing and calls surge

NYC ambulance response times rise 41% amid life-threatening call surge

New York City ambulance teams are now arriving almost four minutes later to life-threatening emergencies than a decade ago, a 41% increase in response time revealed by city comptroller data between 2015 and 2026. Over the same period, the number of life-threatening medical emergencies FDNY responded to jumped more than 22%. The report highlights that on one day in January, only 360 ambulances were available, far below the department’s 488-daily target, while EMTs continue operating under an expired union contract, with attrition further reducing available staff.

Ambulance availability is strained by frequent vehicle maintenance needs, while the chronic shortfall of EMTs and paramedics is driven by high turnover due to low pay. The union contract lapsed in 2022 and ongoing wage disputes have hampered efforts to retain and hire EMS staff, with exits heightened by better private-sector pay and recruitment to firefighting positions. Raising EMS wages to parity with firefighters would cost the city $1 billion, and matching private-sector pay would require $352 million; both numbers contribute to stalled progress on workforce stabilization and response time improvements.

FDNY is working on operational tweaks and coordination with hospitals, but the Comptroller and City Council emphasize the pay and staffing contract as the core unresolved issue. With a reported 5% attrition rate and thousands more life-threatening calls per year, the key test is whether the city will commit to salary parity in the next union contract or continue to fall behind staffing targets. House view: The upcoming union negotiations and City Council funding decisions will determine whether FDNY can meet its target ambulance fleet and bring down response times before the next annual report.

→ The last reported attrition hearing was in October 2025; the union contract has been expired since 2022.

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