Staten Island Reporter

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) has joined forces with a bipartisan group of Staten Island elected officials to express their concerns over recent delays in emergency services. They have written to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Robert Barbera, Deputy Commissioner of The Public Safety and Emergency Management Division, regarding reports that constituents were unable to reach emergency service call centers.

This letter was prompted by an incident reported by the Staten Island Advance on May 7. Bystanders found an unconscious individual on a sidewalk in New Dorp Beach. Despite numerous attempts, they were unable to connect with a 911 operator on what was described as a routine Monday night with no other significant events taking place. The bystanders ultimately reached out to the 122nd Precinct and directly contacted EMTs they knew, actions that likely saved the unconscious man's life.

The officials wrote in their letter, "Ensuring public safety and access to emergency services continues to be a top priority for all New Yorkers." They further stressed the importance of timely response from EMS, Fire, or Police departments as it can make the difference between life and death.

They also raised questions about the city's ability to handle major events such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters if it struggled to respond to calls on a routine Monday evening. The officials expressed concern over cuts made to both NYPD and FDNY due to city budget decisions related to migrant housing, food, and healthcare. They emphasized that citizens' safety should not be compromised due to staffing cuts or hiring freezes resulting from these budget cuts.