NY Union Upset over Ambulance Delay for Injured Firefighter

    June 9, 2021
    According to the city's union, a Rochester firefighter injured during a call had to wait over seven minutes for an ambulance, but officials say a unit was available at the scene.

    A delay in an ambulance's response to reach a firefighter injured during a fire call earlier this week has the New York union upset.

    A Rochester firefighter suffered heat exhaustion and a rapid pulse while battling a residential fire Monday that injured two occupants, WROC-TV reports. According to the city's firefighters union, the injured firefighter was treated at the scene but had to wait over seven minutes for an ambulance.

    “They realized that he needed to go to the hospital, and we didn’t have an ambulance,” Eddie Santiago, president Rochester Fire Fighters, Local 1071, told WROC.

    Santiago stressed that the union's complaint isn't with the EMTs from AMR, the city's ambulance service. He says those EMS workers do an excellent job but that they're overworked. 

    “It’s just a situation where ambulance crews are not paid well,” Santiago said.

    “And corporate doesn’t want to do anything about it," he added.

    City officials, however, dispute the union's claim concerning a delay in an ambulance's response for the injured firefighter. Although the city said an ambulance was available at the scene, officials said they plan to look at the issue.

    "In addition, the Rochester Fire Department will conduct a study of ambulance service in the City as proposed by Mayor Warren in her 2021-22 budget to ensure anyone who needs help receives it quickly and efficiently," a statement from the city said. "This study will include our firefighters and our community as it moves forward.”

    While Santiago admits that an ambulance was at the scene, the unit wasn't available for the firefighter because it was treating another patient.

    “The minute they started working on that other person, another one should have been dispatched,” Santiago said.

    Ultimately, Santiago said the city needs to consider allowing the department to handle EMS service alongside AMR. But resources will need to be allocated to do that.

    "About 90% of our firefighters are EMTs," Santiago said. "But there’s only so much equipment that we have that we can do. We can’t transport."