The IAEP has joined a coalition demanding that New York legislative leaders pass a Fiscal Year 2026 Budget that would ensure EMS access for all and assist in assuring a more sustainable EMS workforce moving forward.
IAEP International Director Phil Petit signed onto the coalition letter, which was put together by IAEP Local 20 President and EMS Sustainability Alliance President Alanna Badgley, and calls on New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie and Temp. New York Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins to ensure that Part R of the proposed budget is included when it is passed.
"There is little time left before we experience additional closures and increased coverage gaps," Badgley wrote in the coalition letter. "Waiting another year to develop legislation and waiting for much needed funding will be potentially catastrophic. Frankly, lives could be lost as a result."
The letter also calls for more efforts to be made to help solve the current national crisis in EMS staffing and disparities in delivering emergency care, such as increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for EMS services to bring them in line with Medicare rates, and a bill that would deem EMS as an essential service in the state.
"Some of that support comes in the form of required legislation which defines EMS as an essential service, and calls on counties, cities, towns and villages to ensure the provision of EMS services to all resident," wrote Badgley.
The efforts to designate EMS as an essential service have been hard-fought for years now, with a provision to make EMS essential being added and then later removed from the last two passed fiscal budgets. While the designation would carry little weight without real legislative and fiscal support like those in Part R.
Hundreds of EMS providers and their loved ones have signed onto the letter expressing support for these efforts.
"My wife is an EMT and I work in the mental health field. Although I love helping people, I could never do what she does every day in EMS," wrote one signee. "The job requires so much attention to detail, multi tasking, and resilience- all while saving lives. They have to be quick on their feet and they do a lot to serve the community. EMS operates 24/7 saving the lives of our loved ones and they deserve to be seen as essential."
New York residents have chimed in with their support, too.
"My granddaughter is a type 1 diabetic," wrote another signee. "Last month she was having a crisis and we called 911 for help, but no one came. Dispatch told us it was a busy night and they had no units available at the time. After 3 hours we finally managed to get her glucose under control by ourselves, but this was a life threatening situation and we live just 3 blocks from S. BUFFALO MERCY HOSPITAL. NYS EMS employees need to be listed as ESSENTIALS. Let's do this!!"
Now, the coalition is asking for your support ahead of the submission of this letter on March 15.
The coalition is encouraging supporters to share the letter and form to sign on their social media pages.
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