Ariola defends Intro 990 as public notification of ambulance delays
Ariola says Intro 990 would let families know if an ambulance is not coming so they can make other arrangements sooner. Esposito says FDNY should continue discussing the issue but worries Notify NYC could confuse or frighten the public and discourage necessary calls.
This is why I had introduced Intro 990, which you testified to, Chief, that...
That you're open to further discussion, but you don't believe that likely volume notifications would result necessarily and provide useful information to New Yorkers.
I believe that if the speaker's constituents'parents were aware that an ambulance was not coming right away,
They would have chosen a different route earlier and called a private ambulance sooner.
And also the dailies would have done the same thing.
So that's why we have to do something so the public is aware, whether it's the bill, the intro as it stands, or if we work towards an amendment.
The public needs to know whether or not help is coming.
And I think we should continue discussion.
We just don't think that the NISM notification system is the correct way.
Our concern is that the public might be confused or fearful and then not call an ambulance when they really need one.
And in that situation, for those life-threatening calls, even if we're holding calls,
they get an ambulance while the lower acuity calls.
In the case of the child at Wagner Middle School, that is not a life-threatening segment one, two, or three call.
So that's why they got preempted, those ambulances were preempted, and went to a life-threatening call.
Correct.
But if the parents knew ahead of time, they would not have waited as long as they did.
And I don't know how long they waited, but certainly I'm sure the child was at the hospital.
Overall, it was an unacceptable wait time.
I think the chair makes an excellent argument on this regard, is that families need to know if help is not coming.
Because if families knew help is not coming and we're going to be honest with you that you're not going to get an ambulance, then they would make other arrangements if they could, either a private ambulance or if someone is able to drive them to the hospital.
But just letting them sit there waiting and becoming more fearful and anxious and stressed and quite honestly, they're angry.
And they have every right to be angry.
We understand that, and we should work together to come up with a way to make sure that they are aware of that.
We just don't think that that NISM alerting system is the correct way.
It's the correct way to alert everyone for everything.
So I don't know why it wouldn't pertain here.
But we're also open to discussion on it.