On a chilly Monday evening, Boston EMS ambulance after ambulance arrived at the Boston Medical Center with its lights and sirens blaring. As the calls for help hit record levels, the union representing Boston EMS paramedics and EMTs says it is struggling to fill enough ambulances to serve the city.
"We are at a breaking point right now, our staffing levels are at the lowest I've ever seen," said Matthew Anderson, President of Boston Emergency Medical Services, a division of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.
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"Morale is the lowest it has been in years," he added.
Boston EMS paramedics and EMTs have been working for nearly 18 months without a contract with the city, and the union says the current starting pay of $22/hour is not enough to fill open positions. During the day, Boston EMS runs 26 ambulances across the city, according to the union, and that number drops to 16 at night.
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The lack of ambulances is leading to longer response times. Anderson says the goal on critical emergencies is six minutes from the initial 911 call until they arrive.
"We are averaging up to seven or eight minutes to get an ambulance to that, and that one minute could actually make the difference in somebody's life" he said.
Making matters worse, the union says its members get paid between 33 to 50 percent less than Boston Police and Boston Fire Department members.
A Boston EMS spokesperson said Monday the city supports its paramedics and EMTs.
"The backbone of our public safety community, EMTs and Paramedics are a safety net, providing vital services to our residents and visitors to the City of Boston," the spokesperson said. "The Mayor’s Office, the Boston Public Health Commission, and Boston EMS leadership remain responsive and committed to the bargaining process to reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the BPPA-EMS division."
The union says there is currently no timeline for the two sides to sit down and continue negotiating.
