Yonkers Insider: Statement from New York State Senator Shelley Mayer.

 

Historic Victory for EMS Workers.



I had the honor of joining my colleague Assemblyman Steve Otis, alongside Rye Brook Village Administrator Chris Bradbury, Westchester County Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie, and a group of EMS leaders in the community, to celebrate an important victory for EMS first responders. In a landmark policy decision from the NYS Department of Civil Service, working with the NYS Comptroller’s Office, it was decided that active members of volunteer ambulance and EMS organizations serving one or more municipal corporations will be eligible to participate in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP), which grants them access to the quality health care many public employees receive.

This transformative policy decision that we fought for will lead to more affordable and better health coverage for EMS workers throughout New York State. I want to thank Timothy Hogues, Commissioner of the NYS Department of Civil Service and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for listening to our arguments about the interpretation of the rules that precluded this coverage previously. A special thank you to Rye Brook Administrator Chris Bradbury for his persistent efforts on this critical issue.

At a press conference this week in Port Chester, we also pressed for more to be done in the State’s adopted budget to address the challenges facing EMS providers throughout New York State. Assemblyman Otis and I have introduced legislation (S.4020/A.3392), which will make important changes to the EMS system statewide, and will finally designate EMS services as “essential services” under the law.