When people call 911 in Erie County, 40% of the time, an ambulance is not immediately ready and available to be dispatched.
That’s what Erie County Executive Brenton Davis claimed is the driving force behind his efforts to bring $2.5 million of gaming revenue funds to bolster EMS locally in the 2025 budget.
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“When you dial 911, then isn’t the time to figure out how to support the ambulance service. You need to put plans and a system in place to support those calls,” said Davis.
Last year, Davis requested $2 million for EMS funding, which was denied by council. This year, that ask has gone up as he looks to implement a new regionalized EMS system to place ambulances where and when they’re needed.
Davis said currently, ambulances are refunded for a portion of services they provide, they’re not as easily able to fund staff, overhead, ambulance maintenance and more with just the revenue of EMS calls.
But Erie County Council said the money just isn’t there.