IBO testifies response times worsened as ambulance hours fell
Logan Clark of IBO says the Mayor's Management Report shows end-to-end response times for life-threatening emergencies have increased by nearly three minutes since FY22 to more than 13 minutes. He says call volume increased 5% since 2022 but is down from its 2024 peak, while daily ambulance operating hours fell nearly 10%.
All right.
Good afternoon, Chair Areola, and I think that's all we've got today.
And other members of the committees on fire and emergency management and hospitals.
My name is Logan Clark, and I'm the Assistant Director of Government Operations and Community Services at the New York City Independent Budget Office.
I'm joined today by my colleague, Valerie Gudino, who is a budget and policy analyst at IBO.
IBO is a nonpartisan government agency whose mission is to enhance understanding of New York City's budget, public policy, and economy through independent fiscal and policy analysis.
We appreciate the invitation to testify at today's hearing on ambulance response times.
IBO has analyzed emergency medical services staffing over the five years presented in the fiscal year 2026 Mayor's Management Report, or MMR.
The recently published MMR documents longer end-to-end average response times for life-threatening medical emergencies that are designated as segment 1 to 3 incidents with
in the 911 system.
This system includes both FDNY ambulances and voluntary ambulances operated by the city's nonprofit hospital systems.
End-to-end response time measures the total time it takes from when a caller dials 911 until an ambulance arrives.
The most recent MMR reveals that ambulance response times have increased by nearly three minutes since FY22 and now average more than 13 minutes.
The fire department cites call volume as the primary reason contributing to this troubling increase.
Although call volume has increased by 5% since 2022, it is currently down from its 2024 peak.
Even with that decline, end-to-end responses have continued to worsen.
Meanwhile, since 2022, the daily average number of ambulance operating hours in the 911 system has consistently declined.
Daily ambulance hours, including both EMS and voluntary ambulances, have decreased by nearly 10% from 8,900 in 2022 to 8,100 in 2026.
In recent years, and as recently as January 2026, voluntary ambulance operators have made up roughly one-third of all daily ambulance tours.
However, FDNY states in the MMR that 11 hospital systems removed their ambulances from the 911 system in FY26.
It is unclear what the exact impact of those hospitals leaving will have on the proportion of voluntary tours.
IBO does not have information on why these hospitals withdrew from the 911.
911 system or any staffing details for voluntary ambulances.
IBO analyzed EMS personnel staffing levels and fluctuations from 2022 to 2026 using the city's human resource management system or charms.
EMS staffing includes emergency medical technicians who typically staff basic life support units.
EMS paramedics who staff advanced life support and paramedic response units, and EMS lieutenants and captains who supervise but typically do not go directly to calls.
Out of those titles, EMTs have the lowest starting salaries but are eligible to be promoted to higher trained and paid paramedic and firefighter titles through a civil service exam.