Many communities across New York and the U.S. are grappling with emergency medical services, or EMS, providers that are stretched thin. First responders are facing stress amid a crisis that threatens to leave people stranded in a medical emergency.

Before every 12-hour shift, Deborah Beth does a rig check. The supplies are critical to saving someone’s life.

Beth is an EMT with the Woodbury Community Ambulance, an all-volunteer group. The service tries to respond to emergencies within 10 minutes of a call for help. It’s a tough goal to meet, but this team knows minutes matter.

However, the group like many EMS providers in New York and across the country is facing a major problem in the ranks: a severe staffing shortage.

“There is going to be a time very shortly that you are going to call an ambulance, and nobody is gonna show,” said Beth, Woodbury Community Ambulance President. “And that is gonna end up translating into many, many unnecessary deaths, and real tragedy.”

Volunteers are the heartbeat of this organization. Beth is desperate for people who want to serve their community and help save lives.The New York Department of Health says 30 volunteer ambulance providers in the state had to shut their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Beth, it’s about survival.

“We are fighting and trying our best to avoid, through increased recruitment, and different incentives that we might be able to offer potential volunteers, to try to counteract that, so that we can ensure that every time a call goes out in town of Woodbury, that we’re there to answer it,” she said.

Beth has a plan to recruit and retain volunteers through incentives. She’s teaming up with local businesses to offer discounts to the ambulance corps, including at restaurants, hair salons and auto repair shops.

Ben Conques is a volunteer EMT of more than 40 years. He’s answered more than 6,000 emergency calls and knows the value of this team. He’s also been on the receiving end of what he’s providing.

“Within a couple months of joining actually my own crew had to take me to a hospital, which put a little hiccup in my career, but I survived that,” said Conques. “And it made me feel even more that these are events that somebody cannot handle on their own.”

Conques is always ready to spring into action when the call comes in. His commitment to helping the community is unwavering.

“Usually, we see them on one of the worst days of their lives,” Conques said. “Usually, they’re having a very bad day. I feel like somebody needs to be there to help them get through that.”

The Woodbury Community Ambulance also covers nearby towns to assist other EMS providers who are also dealing with staffing shortages. Regional agencies are having to work together to provide support to one another amid the devastating workforce crisis.