Ambulance Response Times Slow for Fifth Year in a Row

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Ambulance response times in New York City have risen for the fifth straight year, now averaging over 13 minutes for life-threatening emergencies due to factors like high call volumes, staffing shortages, and heavy traffic. This delay poses significant challenges for timely medical care as the city works to recruit more emergency medical technicians and improve operational efficiency.

Ambulance response times in New York City have increased for the fifth consecutive year, according to the city’s latest annual management report. The average time for ambulances to arrive at life-threatening emergencies following a 911 call now exceeds 13 minutes, marking an increase of nearly two minutes compared to the previous fiscal year. The report covers the 12 months ending in June 2026, reflecting the city’s fiscal year from July to June.

Emergency medical services in New York City, operated by the Fire Department, saw response times begin to rise in 2021, when the average was about 9 minutes and 34 seconds. Since then, officials have noted continued delays, with factors such as high call volumes, fewer available ambulances, and heavy traffic contributing to slower arrivals at emergency scenes.

Amanda Farinacci Gonzalez, a Fire Department spokeswoman, emphasized the department’s commitment to addressing the issue. She pointed to ongoing efforts including better coordination with hospitals, improved efficiency in busy areas, and increased operational oversight aimed at returning units to service more rapidly.

The report highlighted workforce challenges as well, noting that emergency medical technicians have left the profession in significant numbers, citing low pay and demanding working conditions as key reasons. Fire Department officials indicated that recruitment efforts to hire additional technicians are underway.

During fiscal year 2026, ambulances were dispatched to approximately 1.6 million medical emergencies, a slight decrease from the previous year but an increase from figures reported in 2022, when there were 1.53 million calls. When both firefighters and ambulances responded together to life-threatening incidents, the average response time was 11 minutes and 55 seconds — about 94 seconds longer than the previous year. In instances responding solely by fire companies, the average time increased by 59 seconds to 10 minutes and 41 seconds.

The report also clarified that some calls were initially classified as non-life-threatening but were later upgraded while responders were en route. For calls immediately identified as life-threatening, such as heart attacks, response times averaged 7 minutes and 28 seconds.

Emergency medical crews performed over 141,000 lifesaving interventions during the fiscal year, and the number of life-threatening injuries sustained by firefighters declined by 10 percent.

The report also addressed police response times, which increased by 28 seconds for all crimes in progress, averaging 15 minutes and 21 seconds. For “critical” crimes in progress, response times averaged 9 minutes and 38 seconds, also showing a 28-second increase from the prior year. Police officials noted these changes occurred amid a rise in 911 calls to about 7.5 million — 20,000 more than the previous year — even as the number of major crimes like murders and shootings decreased.

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