Emergency Medical Services in rural areas are “teetering on the brink of collapse” due to funding and staffing challenges.
That's the conclusion of the New York State Rural Ambulance Services Task Force, which was established by state lawmakers to research and find solutions to the issue.
“A lot of people may think that these are volunteers and the service is free, but it's not,” said Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, D-Binghamton. “It costs them a lot of money to go out on a call, and nowadays, in many areas, those ambulances are taking a very, very long time to get there.,”
Lupardo and other lawmakers spoke during a Wednesday news conference, joined by members of the EMS community and county officials.
“The challenges we face will not disappear on their own. Issues such as reimbursement, the cost of readiness, funding, policy, modernization, hospital delays, countywide coordination and workforce shortages require sustained action,” said Michael Benenati, the vice -chairperson of the task force.
A recent task force report outlined 38 recommendations, including exempting EMS costs from the state’s property tax cap, allowing localities to establish countywide EMS services and providing more grants to help with equipment purchases.
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill on the property tax issue last year, citing concerns about the impact on homeowners and businesses.
