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Q&A
EMS budget integration and ambulance fleet details
1:11:16
ยท
105 sec
Council Member Ariola inquires about the integration of EMS budget with FDNY and details of the ambulance fleet. Deputy Commissioner Christoff provides information on budget allocation, ambulance mileage, and maintenance schedules.
- The separation of EMS budget from FDNY is due to historical reasons related to Medicaid funding, but this is being reevaluated.
- The average mileage for the ambulance fleet is 36,080 miles, with ambulances being replaced every 5-6 years.
- Ambulances are on a 45-day preventative maintenance cycle to ensure they can handle increasing demand for EMS services.
Joann Ariola
1:11:16
Why is that since EMS is part of the fire department?
1:11:19
Why doesn't the fire why isn't the administration allowing the fire department to embrace EMS fully and incorporate it fully so that it's part of your budget?
Lizette Christoff
1:11:32
So there historical reasons why that have to do with Medicaid funding, but there have also been changes to Medicaid funding recently, and so that is something that we're looking at for the future, whether this is still something that makes financial sense.
Joann Ariola
1:11:47
Yeah, I mean when it comes to EMS, they can't be just a little bit pregnant.
1:11:50
They're either part of the FDNY or they're not.
1:11:53
So I'll do whatever we need to do however I can help to make sure that they are respected, get their pay parity, and become full fledged members, you know, even through funding for their vehicles.
1:12:07
As long as we're on the topic of their vehicles, what is the average mileage and where on the FDNY's ambulance fleet and how often are ambulances being replaced?
Lizette Christoff
1:12:20
So the average mileage for our ambulance fleet is 36,080 miles right now and we aim to replace ambulances every five to six years.
Joann Ariola
1:12:31
And how does the FDNY ensure that ambulances are adequately maintained to handle the increasing demand for EMS service?
Lizette Christoff
1:12:39
So they're on a forty five day preventative maintenance cycle.
Joann Ariola
1:12:45
Okay, so my next question has to do with budget.
1:12:48
So what is the current budget for ambulance repairs and replacement?
1:12:51
Does that come from your budget or H and H?
Lizette Christoff
1:12:54
That comes from our budget.
1:12:55
So it's the same budget that I talked about before, the same two forty staff and OTPS.