Emergency medical service workers are pushing for a safety bill that will protect both patients and first responders.
FDNY EMS Local 2507 is advocating for state Senate bill S6698, sponsored by state Sen. Robert Jackson of Manhattan. The bill would set minimum staffing standards for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics when responding to 911 emergencies in NYC or any city in New York with over 1 million people.
According to union representatives, the legislation, if passed into law, would close a legal loophole that allows a single EMT or paramedic to respond to medical emergencies, including those at major crime scenes.
Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507, said the change is necessary for patient care, and the safety of the city’s medical first responders, whom he said are regularly assaulted, mugged, threatened, and face other hazardous conditions in the line of duty.
He added that supervisors often have to respond to emergencies alone.
“EMS is the only first responder group that has supervisors responding on their own to 911 calls. This bill will accomplish two critical things,” he said. “It will guarantee the safety of our EMS members and supervisors, many of whom work 24 hours on the street in some of the roughest neighborhoods without a partner to watch their back.”
Barzilay said the bill will ensure better care for patients, too.
“The bill will also ensure better care and safety for our city’s citizens by allowing supervisors to provide patient care if they arrive on scene before an EMS ambulance,” he said. “Currently, New York City protocol mandates that EMS can only provide patient care when there are two paramedics on scene. This corrects that and provides another responding crew if supervisors are the first to arrive.”
Union representatives said the bill was inspired by FDNY paramedic Alison Russo, who was stabbed to death while on duty in Astoria in 2022. Russo, a supervisor, was working alone as she waited for roadside assistance to arrive and repair her FDNY vehicle when the vicious attack occurred.
Her killer, Peter Zisopoulos, was found guilty of murder and weapons possession on May 19 this year.
“Alison Russo’s death is a tragedy, and it is not the first time supervisors have been assaulted,” Barzilay said.
The bill, which is also sponsored in the legislature by Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato of Queens, states that a team of two EMTs, two paramedics or a certified supervisor with one of the former would meet staffing standards at 911 emergencies.
“The bill is a just and equitable measure, and Local 2507 urges that it be enacted,” the union’s memo states.
According to the state Senate website, the legislation remains in committee with the Legislative session scheduled to end on Thursday.
