Slower FDNY ambulances: life-threatening calls now take nearly 4 extra minutes

Over the past decade, the number of New Yorkers calling for help in a life-threatening medical crisis has grown, and so has the wait for an FDNY ambulance to arrive. That finding comes from a city comptroller’s office review of department data.

How much slower NYC ambulance response times have become

Analysts looked at FDNY emergency medical services calls from fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2026. During those years, crews took 3 minutes and 50 seconds longer to reach the most serious emergencies, a jump of more than 41%. Lower-priority calls fared even worse, with response times more than doubling. Meanwhile, life-threatening emergencies themselves climbed by more than 22%.

Why the most serious calls have grown remains unclear. A spokesperson for the comptroller said the office does not know the cause.

Part of the delay comes down to vehicles. Ambulances in the FDNY fleet often need repairs, so fewer of them are answering calls on any given day. In January, for example, the department had 360 ambulances in service on one day, well below the 488 it aims to field daily.

EMT pay, turnover and the stalled contract

The City Council has pushed for hiring more EMTs and paramedics. The comptroller’s office counters that low wages drive many emergency medical workers out the door. The FDNY gave a 5% attrition rate at an October 2025 hearing, but the comptroller’s office says the true number is probably higher, since EMS staff who left to become firefighters were not counted.

Since 2022, EMTs and paramedics have worked without a union contract amid a dispute over pay. Starting pay for an EMT is close to $44,000. With five and a half years on the job, an EMT can make upwards of $68,000. Their union wants pay and regular raises in line with firefighters, which the comptroller’s office estimates would cost over $1 billion. Raising EMS salaries to the level paid by private hospitals for similar work would cost the city $352 million.

The comptroller’s office recommended that the city pay EMS staff at least as much as private-sector counterparts, though it acknowledged that lowering response times will also take other changes. “The city should move quickly to reach a labor agreement,” the report states.

The FDNY, for its part, says cutting response times is a priority. Amanda Farinacci, a department spokesperson, listed the steps underway: closer coordination with hospitals, more efficient operations in high-volume areas and greater operational visibility, all meant to get units back in service faster.