VIDEO: Ambulance services are facing a shortage in New York — a statewide problem that's coming at a busy time.
People wanting to be certified as emergency medical technicians or paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic had an easier time doing so, with an emergency order that allowed them to take one of two tests — a state one, or a national exam. But New York's statewide emergency order was lifted in June, leaving hundreds of people in a backlog waiting to be certified after taking the national exam.
"The thing that compounds that right now is we have this huge personnel and staffing shortage across the country, particularly prevailing here in New York," said Mike McEvoy, the Saratoga EMS coordinator.