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MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – JULY 28: Multiple ambulances arrive to the scene after a police officer and a civilian were shot by a suspect armed with an assault rifle in New York City, United States on July 28, 2025. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anad
NEW YORK – The response time for FDNY ambulances has increased for a fourth year in a row.
Average ambulance response time
What we know:
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ latest management report, the average response time to life-threatening medical emergencies by ambulances has reached 11 minutes and 21 seconds.
The report covers the average response time of the past few years:
- 9 minutes and 34 seconds in 2021
- 10 minutes and 17 seconds in 2022
- 10 minutes and 43 seconds in 2023
- 10 minutes and 52 seconds in 2024
The report can be read in its entirety below.
Response times for other New York City emergency services on a weekly basis can be found here.
NYC Analytics shows that the average end-to-end response time for ambulances regarding life-threatening emergencies during the week of August 25 (the latest week available) was 12 minutes and 19 seconds.
What they’re saying:
Local 2507, the union representing 4,000 paramedics and EMTs, say staffing shortages caused by low pay are to blame, The New York Post reports.
“Ambulance response times rising across the board come as no surprise to every FDNY EMT and paramedic. This has been a growing systemic crisis for the world’s busiest medical first responder agency,” said Oren Barzilay, the president of the union.
Dig deeper:
This increase in response time comes even after city officials have instituted changes to combat the issue.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – JANUARY 10: Ambulances are seen in New York, United States on January 10, 2023. A strike at two New York City hospitals that saw more than 7,000 professionals walk off the job last week has placed attention squarely on the s
Earlier this year, it was decided that EMS ambulance crews must take patients to the nearest hospital.
Previously, patients were able to direct emergency service workers to a hospital of their choice, provided it was within 10 minutes of the closest hospital available. The previous directive only required crews to take patients to the nearest hospital in severe or life-threatening medical emergencies.
The Source: This article includes information provided by the New York City Mayor’s Management Report.