Why An EMS Votes Matters
The Core Elements of the EMS.PAC 501(c)4 Lobbying Strategy
We want to see EMS developed into an Essential, Uniformed Service with adequate funding, and a long term commitment for EMS to be paid and treated like Fire Suppression and Law Enforcement.
No politician will take the needs of EMTs and Paramedics seriously when we don’t stick together on issues that affect us. If we remain divided by agency and sectors, our issues will continue to be ignored. Something becomes a “political issue” when as few as 5 constituents call or email about it. We seek to launch a Political Action Committee 501(c)4 to work alongside the existing EMSPAC 501(c)3 to endorse pro-EMS candidates, frame legislation that actually benefits EMS professionals, and develop a united EMS Voting Block around politicians that explicitly support us.
Key Points
- “EMS Pay/Benefit Parity”, the “Mental Health and Physical Well-being of EMS workers”, and a number of “safety issues” need to be made into major political issues.
- Everything we are fighting for will ultimately come down to budget restructuring in City Hall and an EMS Omnibus Law on State and Federal levels.
- Most EMS workers do not currently vote.
- We definitely don’t vote in smaller local elections such as Community Boards, City Council, State Assembly, State Senate, and primary races of all kinds.
- There are 15,500 EMS workers in NYC and 70,000 in New York State
- Including the volunteers and those that have retired; there are as many as 4 million EMS across the country.
- If we vote as a “Bloc” around Pro-EMS issues alongside our families our political influence would be massive, marshaling approximately 50,000 + votes in the New York Area alone.
- Most of us vote for President or the Governor, but are we all familiar with our City Council members and our State representatives? Do we ever vote in primaries?
- These local elections get decided by sometimes as few as several hundred votes.
- EMSPAC wants to appoint 51 District Mobilizers to coordinate and deliver an EMS vote to influence the City Council races in NYC.
- We plan to draw up lists of Pro-EMS Candidates based on responses to a three question policy brief, then use our collective votes to ensure political accountability.
Why an EMS Vote Matters
There are over 15,000 EMS workers in New York City alone, and over 500,000 nationally registered. We get to the number of 4 million by factoring those that left the field before 4 years and those that retired. Many EMTs and Paramedics are not yet registered to vote and/or are ignorant about who our elected officials are. We are evenly divided Democrats, Republicans, Apolticals, and Independents and we rarely vote based on what actual “Pro-EMS Actions” a politician has taken in the past or promises to take in the future. Many politicians, no matter what party, will make pro-EMS Statements. But what is their voting record on our actual issues? We need them to step beyond these promises and outline specific legislative and budgetary plans. This requires a unified mission to support EMS-focused politicians.
What is an EMS Voting Bloc?
An “EMS Vote Bloc” would be a pledge to cast your City and State Level vote only behind politicians that are making a commitment to the EMS Policy Brief. The brief will outline five key policy questions related to;
(a) Essential, uniformed classification,
(b) Mental health and safety measures,
(c) Increased scope of practice,
(d) Increase in EMS Municipal EMS budgets
(e) EMS Pay and Benefit Parity with Law Enforcement and Fire Suppression
An EMS Vote Bloc will not vote along party lines. It will vote for politicians that pledge to support us or have done so in the past. In a contentious ideologically driven election the members of the vote bloc will be asked to vote their conscience then make the second rank choice vote for the bloc. The 51 City Council Seats are vulnerable to the Vote Bloc linked to the Teachers Union (UFT), Nursing Unions (NYSNA/ 1199), close-knit ethnic communities, the Police (PBA), and Firefighters (UFA). We can be very disruptive to a City Council Election or Primary with just a few hundred committed votes in a district. Coordinated by the upcoming EMS.PAC (Emergency Medical Services Political Action Committee 501(c)4), the movement will assist EMTs and Paramedics and their families in understanding which politicians actually support EMS. Our initial aim will be to build the Bloc around the brief questions and group our members by district organized around the election calendar.
A SAMPLE EMS POLICY BRIEF
EMSPAC 501(c)4 will be asking our elected officials (Community Boards, City Council, State Assembly, State Senate, Members of Congress, the Mayor, and the Governor five policy questions to advocate for EMS support:
- Will you support legislation to make all EMS an “Essential, Uniformed Service”?
- Will you support funding robust mental health and safety measures for all EMS Workers?
- Will you support expansion of the EMS Scope of Practice in the in-Hospital and Prehospital setting?
- Will you support an increased budget allocation for municipal EMS?
- Will your Support EMS Pay and Benefit Parity with Law Enforcement and Fire Suppression?
Will you support legislation to make all EMS an “Essential, Uniformed Service”?
What is an Essential service?
- “Essential services” refer to those services that are vital to the health and welfare of a population and so are essential to maintain even in a disaster. Industries defined as essential services differ based on the organization or government but generally include services such as hospitals and other healthcare, utilities such as electricity and water supply, law enforcement and firefighting, and food services.”
- By establishing EMS as an essential service, municipalities would be required to provide it to their residents in a reliable manner as a matter of state policy. The legislation would amend the state General Municipal Law to allow governmental providers to allow for fees to be charged.
- IN NYC EMS IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE VIA THE FDNY, but the FDNY provides only ⅔ of the 911 Ambulances.
- Where does the politician stand on a unified municipal EMS Department?
What is a ‘Uniformed Service Status’?
- Uniformed status is anyone sworn to an oath of office. In NYC’s sense uniformed status is through the admin code which refers to NYC’s Fire Department, Police Department, Sanitation Department, and Correction Department. These workers are given parity through contract negotiations, work benefits, etc.
- The FDNY EMS has been a “Uniformed Service” since 2007.
- That means that only 4,800 of 15,500 area EMS have this classification and bargaining ability.
Will you support funding robust mental health and safety measures for all EMS Workers?
- Adequate, individualized PPE
- Bullet Proof vests
- De-escalation training
- Dedicated hotline and staffing for EMS mental health emergencies
- Self Defense training
- Higher standards for EVOC
- Robust funding of mental health support services and counseling
- Mandatory debriefings on certain call types
- Mandatory Health tracking
- Mental Health decompression days
- Increased PD response times
- Differential for all working fires/ MCIs
- Unified state pension system
Will you support expansion of the EMS Scope of Practice in the in-Hospital and Prehospital setting?
- EMT, AEMT, MEDIC, MEDIC CC, CP, FP-C, Tactical Bridge programs.
- Mobile Integrated Care
- In-Hospital employment
- Bachelor of Science Paramedicine
- Masters of Science Paramedicine
Will you support an increased budget allocation for municipal EMS?
- Would you be willing to vote on a budget that increases Municipal EMS pay?
Will your Support EMS Pay and Benefit Parity with Law Enforcement and Fire Suppression?
- Would you be willing to vote on budgetary alignment of EMS funding in Parity with the budgets of Law enforcement and Fire Suppression?
Keep it simple! Stay on Message!