NYC response times to fires, medical emergencies soaring — along with fire deaths

 For a second consecutive year, New York City first responders took longer to get to fires and other medical emergencies — and more people died in blazes.

Combined response times by FDNY ambulances and fire companies to “life-threatening medical emergencies” were up 20 seconds on average during the fiscal year ending June 30 –  or 3.5% — to 9 minutes and 50 seconds compared to the previous 12 months, according to the Fiscal 2023 Mayor’s Management Report, released Friday.

Fire deaths involving civilians jumped by 10.8%, from 92 to 102, the report found.

Fire companies responded on average in 9 minutes and 23 seconds while agency ambulances took 10 minutes and 43 seconds — both up from the previous year, the agency said.

The FDNY also noted an uptick in life-threatening medical emergency calls, from 564,412 in fiscal 2022 to 605,140 last fiscal year. 

And overall structural fires also rose 2% over the same period, from 23,387 to 23,901, according to the annual report.

New York City response times to fires and other medical emergencies rose for a second straight year, according to a new report released by Mayor Adams.

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“We’re on the brink of costing people’s life if things don’t change,” said Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507, the union representing more than 4,100 rank-and-file city emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

Barzilay said he didn’t expect much improvement to response times considering the mass influx of migrants and other new residents draining city resources, and City Hall’s anti-car agenda that includes closing off more streets and driving lanes.

“[Unless] the city and state take EMS seriously as an essential service, we’re going to see a total collapse of the system,” he added.

The FDNY is blaming its rising response times to fires and other medical emergencies to more people driving to avoid the using a crime-plagued subway system — and clogging up traffic.

William Farrington

Combined response times by FDNY ambulances and fire companies to “life-threatening medical emergencies” rose 20 seconds during the fiscal year ending June 30 –  or 3.5% — to 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

Christopher Sadowski

James Brosi, president of the FDNY Uniformed Fire Officers Association, blamed the rise in response times on the city’s relentless narrowing of streets and changing of traffic patterns in recent years to slow traffic, coupled with an increase in emergency calls coming in.

“Seconds are critical when people’s lives are at stake,” he said. “With budget cuts looming, we must keep every apparatus in service and staffing levels high, so we can protect the lives and property of the people of New York.”

The Mayor’s Management Report – which outlines the highs and lows of all city agency operations – also notes that response times are 82 seconds – or 16.1% — higher than the 8 minute and 28 second average in fiscal 2019. There were 67 civilian fire deaths that same year, or 52% less than fiscal 2023.

The new numbers even exceed response times from fiscal 2020 when emergency responders were overwhelmed at the start of the pandemic.

The FDNY blamed the increase in deaths on more New Yorkers using lithium-ion batteries to power e-bikes and e-scooters.

Battery fires have surpassed electrical fires at the top cause of deaths the past year, officials said.

The Mayor’s Management Report released by Eric Adams is the first benchmark of his administration’s performance covering a full fiscal year.

Matthew McDermott

And the agency attributed rising response times in part to “higher levels of traffic citywide as a result of changes in travel patterns,” such as more people relying on cars and to avoid the crime-ridden subways.

Major crime also continued to rise during Mayor Eric Adams’ first full fiscal year in office – while NYPD response times slowed across the board, according to the report. 

Adams, a retired NYPD captain who made combating crime the centerpiece of his mayoral campaign, released his first management report last year.

However, the findings of the Fiscal 2022 Mayor’s Management Report were split amongst two administrations: the final six months of ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s time in office and the first six of Adams’ current term.

https://nypost.com/2023/09/16/nyc-response-times-to-fires-medical-emergencies-soaring/