New York City Council Passes 911 Response Time Bill

The New York City Council has passed a bill requiring the fire department to change how it tracks response times to emergencies.

The legislation was named after Ariel Russo, a four-year-old Manhattan girl who was struck and killed by a SUV in June.

There was a four-minute delay in dispatching an ambulance to her. It then took another four minutes for the emergency vehicle to arrive.

Previously, response time was calculated from when a 911 operator transferred the call to a dispatcher.

Now, it would be from when the call is made.

The city already made the change after Russo’s death. The bill, which needs to be signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would codify the switch.

Russo’s family has sued the city for $40 million over the delay.