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Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed legislation — inspired by the vicious deadly stabbing of EMS Lt. Alison Russo in 2022 — that would require two qualified medical first responders be dispatched to 911 emergency calls in the Big Apple.
The governor, in her Oct. 16 veto message, said the bill “would pose a fiscal and workforce issue” for the city, requiring the hiring of 290 EMTs, or emergency medical technicians, at a cost of $25 million.
Hochul said the FDNY indicated that emergency medical technicians would have to be reassigned in order to be paired with supervisors responding to 911 calls, resulting in fewer ambulances in service.
The union that represents 911 ambulance responders slammed Hochul’s veto as heartless and anti-worker safety.
“Amending the law would ensure that supervisors working in EMS vehicles would work in teams just as EMTs and paramedics do,” said Oren Barzilay, president of FDNY EMS Local 2507.
“It’s saddening that the murder of Lt. Russo was not evident enough to show the dangers of our job that legislation to protect our members was vetoed.”
The FDNY, which has grappled with increased response times to life-threatening medical 911 calls, confirmed Tuesday that it recommended that Hochul veto the bill.
“Ensuring the safety of New Yorkers is always our top priority, and that means making sure our first responders can reach those in need as quickly and efficiently as possible,” the department said in a statement.
“We are immensely grateful to Governor Hochul for heeding our warning about this bill, which would have inevitably led to fewer ambulances on the streets and longer response times for emergency medical services.”
Ambulances are already staffed by 2 EMTs/paramedics, the FDNY noted.
Supervisors respond to scenes in separate vehicles to provide guidance and oversight to ambulance personnel and do not typically spend significant time working alone at the scene of an emergency, according to the FDNY.
The union leader of paramedics and EMTS was stunned that Hochul cited the $25 million as breaking the bank in an FDNY budget of $2.6 billion and a citywide budget of $116 billion.
“The total lack of investment by City Hall in EMS is an ongoing crisis that is hurting New Yorkers. Governor Hochul’s veto message says that money is more important than the safety of the men and women of the busiest EMS agency in the world,” said Barzilay.
“New York City continually prioritizes other spending initiatives and relegates public safety to the back seat, while EMS members are bloodied, attacked and mugged in countless dangerous situations.”
Russo was fatally stabbed by Peter Zisopoulos in an unhinged attack just a half-block from her Queens stationhouse on Sept. 29, 2022.
An FDNY investigative report released after Russo’s murder recommended assigning another EMS staffer — “an officer’s aide, to establish a safer work environment and enhance situational awareness” during 911 calls.
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