By Robert Harding
The Citizen
ALBANY, N.Y. 鈥� With emergency medical services providers facing challenges across New York, state lawmakers are proposing a legislative package they say would 鈥渞escue鈥� these agencies.
The six bills include legislation proposed by state Sen. Rachel May and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo to exempt EMS from the property tax cap. The sponsors say this would help municipalities support EMS and provide short-term relief.
The other bills include a measure sponsored by state Sen. Shelley Mayer and Assemblyman Steven Otis to recognize EMS as an essential service and allow for the creation of taxing districts, similar to how fire districts can be established to fund local fire departments.
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey and Assemblywoman Anna Kelles are seeking a change to the Medicaid fee schedule for ambulance services, which would ensure EMS agencies are reimbursed for providing care. State Sen. John Mannion and Assemblywoman Didi Barrett want to allow volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel to claim state income and local property tax credits.
The legislators worked with the New York State Association of Counties to draft legislation and address a problem facing many communities across the state.
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EMS providers face increasing costs and other hurdles, including staffing woes. In Cayuga County, one EMS provider 鈥� AMR 鈥� pulled out due to equipment costs and reimbursement rates.
May, D- Syracuse, said she recently held office hours in Auburn. Half of the constituents who met with her were there to discuss EMS.
鈥淭his is an issue on everybody鈥檚 mind,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e assume that it鈥檚 essential, but we have to make sure that the state recognizes it鈥檚 essential.鈥�
The legislative push is backed by other organizations, including the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. John D鈥橝lessandro, the group鈥檚 secretary, told reporters at a news conference in Albany that 鈥渨e are in a fire and EMS response crisis in the state of New York " due to the personnel and finance issues plaguing these agencies.
D鈥橝lessandro is hopeful that legislators will address the problems to ease the stress placed on EMS and fire departments.
鈥淲e should not be spending an inordinate amount of our energy trying to figure out how to be financially viable or our efforts to make sure that there is enough first responders,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat takes away from our mission.鈥�
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