NYC Ambulance Response Times Have Surged 41% Over the Past Decade, New Report Finds

A report released by New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, covered prominently on October 22, found that FDNY Emergency Medical Services ambulance response times have grown 41% over the past decade. For life-threatening emergencies, the average wait has increased by nearly four minutes compared to a decade ago. For non-life-threatening emergencies, the delay is even greater — roughly 15 additional minutes. The report attributes the worsening response times to call volumes outpacing staffing and resources, increased traffic congestion, and reliance on hospital-based ambulances. EMS union officials corroborated the findings and called for additional hiring and investment. New York City processes millions of ambulance calls per year, and each extra minute matters enormously in cardiac or stroke emergencies. The report recommended staffing reforms, expansion of community paramedicine programs to reduce low-acuity call volume, and deployment of additional EMS units citywide. Mayor Mamdani's administration acknowledged the report and said options were under review.