Aug 24, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min · 10 segments
Mark Flauter hosts Dan Gerard and Walter Adler for a frank, policy-focused discussion on recognizing EMS as an essential public good. They unpack the EMS Bill of Rights, why ambulances must be ready…
Walter AdlerGuest
Dan GirardGuest
Mark FlauterHost
Welcome to episode 33 of the Not AFib podcast, powered by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services.
No one, not one person who claims to be a leader in EMS ever mentioned that EMS is an essential service and a public good.
People will say EMS is an essential service and that we need to fund it appropriately.
They will never say that EMS is a public good, because when you say that EMS is a public good, you are saying that it is public safety infrastructure, or more appropriately, institutional infrastructure like police and fire, as opposed to physical infrastructure, roads and bridges.
Society funds them because they provide continuous readiness and broad societal benefits.
How come the police don't bill for service? Because the benefit extends beyond the individual incident.
The public expects universal access, immediate response, no refusal of service, available to anyone regardless of income, 24-7 availability.
It is literally stated that when the legislation was passed, the expectation was that the local government would fund the difference for readiness, et cetera, above and beyond the direct cost for transport.
As a public good, the defining feature of EMS is not just what it does when a patient calls, it is that it must be ready to respond before anyone calls.
Under this premise of EMS as a public good, for successful EMS operations, we must have ambulances staffed 24-7, There are enough units and personnel on duty, paramedics on duty who are paid, compensated appropriately, communications infrastructure, medical direction, training, equipment, disaster preparedness.
While private equity firms, publicly traded companies speak about readiness costs, they want to be able to control that money.
Show me where the AAA, GMR, Falk, et cetera, say essential service and public good in the same sentence.
They are using AAA talking points to advance a narrative they clearly do not comprehend.
If anyone refuses to say that EMS is a public good, or if they can't explain to you what a public good is, they aren't speaking for you, they are speaking for themselves.
To be part of shaky, Triumvirate of leadership, more about preserving their hold on power than representing the patients will ultimately benefit from properly designed system and the EMTs and paramedics who have to staff that system 24-7.
And that is an excerpt from an upcoming article from Dan Girard on EMS as a public good.
Joining us today are Dan Girard, who appeared in episode 13 of our podcast, and Walter Adler.
That includes TransCare, Midwood, FDNY EMS, Cataldo, SCMS, RCA Assist, GRM, BronxCare, Montefiore, CityBlock, and NYU Langone.
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Welcome to episode 33 of the Not AFib podcast, powered by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services.
No one, not one person who claims to be a leader in EMS ever mentioned that EMS is an essential service and a public good.
People will say EMS is an essential service and that we need to fund it appropriately.
They will never say that EMS is a public good, because when you say that EMS is a public good, you are saying that it is public safety infrastructure, or more appropriately, institutional infrastructure like police and fire, as opposed to physical infrastructure, roads and bridges.
Society funds them because they provide continuous readiness and broad societal benefits.
How come the police don't bill for service? Because the benefit extends beyond the individual incident.
The public expects universal access, immediate response, no refusal of service, available to anyone regardless of income, 24-7 availability.
It is literally stated that when the legislation was passed, the expectation was that the local government would fund the difference for readiness, et cetera, above and beyond the direct cost for transport.
As a public good, the defining feature of EMS is not just what it does when a patient calls, it is that it must be ready to respond before anyone calls.
Under this premise of EMS as a public good, for successful EMS operations, we must have ambulances staffed 24-7, There are enough units and personnel on duty, paramedics on duty who are paid, compensated appropriately, communications infrastructure, medical direction, training, equipment, disaster preparedness.
While private equity firms, publicly traded companies speak about readiness costs, they want to be able to control that money.
Show me where the AAA, GMR, Falk, et cetera, say essential service and public good in the same sentence.
They are using AAA talking points to advance a narrative they clearly do not comprehend.
If anyone refuses to say that EMS is a public good, or if they can't explain to you what a public good is, they aren't speaking for you, they are speaking for themselves.
To be part of shaky, Triumvirate of leadership, more about preserving their hold on power than representing the patients will ultimately benefit from properly designed system and the EMTs and paramedics who have to staff that system 24-7.
And that is an excerpt from an upcoming article from Dan Girard on EMS as a public good.
Joining us today are Dan Girard, who appeared in episode 13 of our podcast, and Walter Adler.
That includes TransCare, Midwood, FDNY EMS, Cataldo, SCMS, RCA Assist, GRM, BronxCare, Montefiore, CityBlock, and NYU Langone.
