ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In an emergency, you can usually depend on paramedics to come to the rescue. But now ambulance workers across the country are facing an emergency of their own.

The New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS said earlier this year they've seen a nearly 10% drop in certified EMTs from a decade ago.

What You Need To Know

  • The number of certified EMS providers in New York has declined 9% in the last 10 years, according to the New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS

  • The New York State Emergency Medical Services Council surveyed more than half of agencies had inter-facility transports delayed by responder shortages, potentially disrupting patient navigation of hospitals and continuing care providers.

  • Monroe Ambulance is accepting applications for its 10-week EMT Training Course until Jan. 5

Last year, 15% of all available EMS personnel didn't renew their certification cards.

Some elected leaders have attributed that to a combination of stress, pandemic-related burnout as well as poor wages and benefits.

Monroe Ambulance Deputy Chief of Patient Care Rachel Weaver fell in love with being an EMT worker after taking her first course in college.

“One of my friends convinced me to join,” Weaver said. “I joined it took my first EMT class and I just fell in love with it and I knew that's what I wanted to do.”

But across the nation sirens are going silent, as EMT workers are plagued by staffing shortages.

“From EMT all the way up to even doctors,” Weaver said. “The COVID pandemic really changed the landscape of health care, and it was very stressful for a lot of us for the last few years. So it's definitely made some people leave the health care field in general.”

With the high demands, this has left workers to stress organization and follow routines to keep up with patient care.

“On each side there is some bandaging equipment and some pediatric equipment,” Weaver said. “In the middle is where we keep most of it. So here we have your IV. It's extremely important to keep it organized. Helps provide better patient care when you follow a routine and everything's where you expect it to be every time.”

They are having to divide the staff based on the influx of calls.

“We try to just prioritize the obviously higher priority calls, get the response first and the lower ones might have to wait a little bit,” Weaver said. “So we're doing our best to staff and we maximize the staff and we need it.”

And they are even relying on neighboring first responders.

“Every EMS agency in the county, we all work together, so we do what's called a mutual aid program,” Weaver said. “So if we have, no one else is left. So if Gates needs some help, they'll help us and vice versa.”

Many are hoping to recruit more workers to provide relief for its staff and the community.

“It's an EARN as you learn program,” Weaver said. “So somebody could apply, get hired, they would go to EMT class full time for ten weeks and come out at the end with an EMT card and a full-time job that we're actually accepting applications for that program right now because our next one starts Jan. 5.”

They’re also stressing the need for emergency medical services in every area of the country.

“It's not just it's not just a job, you know, it's a calling,” Weaver said. “You have to care about your community. You have to care about your fellow man. Also gives you a sense of purpose. You really feel like you're making a difference in somebody's life.”