Greco testifies EMS is out of time and response times have worsened

Thank you, Chairperson.

I didn't know whether I should start with testimony or all that rebuttal, but we'll go with the testimony first.

Good morning, Councilmember Areola, Chairperson, and members of the New York City Council.

My name is Michael Greco.

I am the president of Local 2507, representing the EMTs, paramedics, and fire inspectors who serve the people of New York City.

I am here today angry, frustrated, and deeply concerned because we are running out of time.

New Yorkers are calling 911 for help, and our emergency medical system is struggling to get ambulances to them in time.

We cannot continue to accept this as normal.

We cannot keep holding hearings, issuing reports, and making promises while people wait for help that may not arrive.

The Comptroller's report confirms what our members have been warning about for years.

Life-threatening ambulance response times have increased more than 41% since fiscal 2015.

More than 500 EMTs have left their position in fiscal 2026 alone.

These are not just statistics.

These are people whose lives are hanging in the balance.

Recently, a 14-year-old Queens student suffered a stroke at a school.

His school nurse called 911 and repeated calls were made, but an ambulance did not arrive.

His parents ultimately drove the hospital themselves.

In East Harlem, a 22-year-old reportedly waited more than an hour.

for an ambulance after an apparent overdose.

Police eventually transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

We cannot say that every delayed response results in death, but we can also not pretend that delays like these carry no consequences.

When someone is suffering a stroke,

cardiac arrest, or a life-threatening overdose, minutes matter.

Every unnecessary minute is a risk we should not be asking New Yorkers to take.