New investments to aid Emergency Medical Services response times

As part of the City's Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) budget that will be formally submitted in April, Mayor Martin J. Walsh will announce continued investments in Boston's Emergency Medical Services, including an additional ambulance dedicated to servicing residents of East Boston. The ambulance began its service on March 12.

In addition, building on his commitment to improving emergency response times citywide, Mayor Walsh announced a $1.3 million investment in 20 new EMTs. The new recruits will begin by July, and will grow the size of the EMT force by 20. The added personnel will allow for two additional ambulance crews during the day and evening shifts, and one additional ambulance crew overnight. These crews will work in neighborhoods across the city to continue responding to the growing number of EMS calls. The FY19 budget will also include eight replacement ambulances to support the added EMTs.

As operators of Boston Logan Airport, which utilizes ambulance services in East Boston, MassPort has committed to providing a second bay for ambulance 27 in East Boston to further the shared goal of reducing ambulance response times.

"I'm proud that through these investments we're able to increase our capacity at EMS and improve response times to make sure we reach everyone in the City in need of immediate care," said Mayor Walsh. "This additional ambulance in East Boston and new EMTs across the city will help better serve residents, and will make our emergency response services stronger and more effective than they've ever been."

Last year, Mayor Walsh announced a new initiative that uses data to change the way EMTs are deployed to areas including the Boston Common and Recovery Road area to improve patient outcomes and ambulance utilization. As part of this effort, funding was set aside for a Community Assistance Team to respond to calls that do not require a patient transport, resulting in more efficient use of ambulance utilization.

"The addition of a dedicated ambulance and new ambulance bay is welcome relief for East Boston," said Senator Boncore. "As our community grows and we face new concerns over congestion, ensuring our community has access to reliable public health and safety transportation is a top priority."

"Thank you to Mayor Walsh and Massport for working with the community to address this critical issue. The permanent addition of a second ambulance in East Boston is a perfect example of the good that can happen when government collaborates with residents to address community concerns," said State Representative Adrian Madaro. "This investment will enhance public safety by improving ambulance response times and addressing East Boston's present and projected growth."

"As East Boston continues to grow and thrive, I am excited that Mayor Walsh continues to make investing more resources in East Boston a priority," said Deborah Cave, President of the Eagle Hill Neighborhood Association. "This added ambulance is much welcomed and will continue to make sure that East Boston is healthy and receives the service it deserves."

The Community Assistance teams and FY19 investments build on the Administration's long standing commitment to reducing response times. In FY17 the Administration also added 20 EMTs and purchased 10 replacement ambulances. As part of Mayor Walsh's FY19 budget and Imagine Boston Capital Plan, the Administration is committed to continuing this work.

On average, Boston EMS respond to more than 126,000 incidents a year across the city, marking a 20 percent increase over the last 10 years. Mayor Walsh is committed to ensuring a high-level of service for all neighborhoods, and aims to have ambulances arrive on scene for Priority 1 calls within six minutes of the initial call.

The City's FY19 budget will formally be released on April 11, and residents are encouraged to visit budget.boston.gov to find out more information about investments being made in their community.