Preliminary budget makes room for new ambulance tours, EMS dispatchers

The FDNY will put millions of dollars towards new ambulance tours and EMS dispatchers, announced Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday, February 9, as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 Preliminary Budget.

The city has allocated more than $11 million dollars for 45 new ambulance tours and $6.7 million to add 149 new EMS dispatchers – both of which, the mayor said, will bring down response time citywide.

“As you know, when we came into office, we found a number of problems with the 9-1-1 system,” he said. “After a very thorough investigation, we’ve come up with a reform plan, but also some day-to-day management and approach problems that we wanted to change. One of the things we found was, to keep the city-wide average response time at a level that’s acceptable, we needed to make these investments. They will help our city-wide dynamic.”

The funding will be particularly helpful, de Blasio said, in shortening response time in areas like Staten Island, Western Queens, and the South Bronx.