VIDEO: When you call 911, you expect an ambulance within minutes. But Thursday, emergency services providers offered a bleak prognosis to state lawmakers.
"You can sum it up in two words,” said Bruce Baxter, president of the Connecticut EMS Chiefs Association. “It's a financial concern and a workforce concern.” EMS providers, lobbyists for cities and towns, and hospital groups all weighed in before the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee. All agreed the situation is nearing a breaking point, especially in rural areas.
The problem? Not enough money and not enough workers. "Some towns saw a drop of half of their voluntary EMTs during this time – up to a third in some other towns,” said Betsy Gara, president of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns.