ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — In Tompkins County, response time for 911 calls have dropped.

Joe Milliman, program manager for Tompkins County EMS, tells 607 News Now there’s a big difference in wait times since the program was introduced in 2023.

“Prior to the program, the average response time in Tompkins County — the time the 911 center received the call and notified local departments to the time the local department left their station — was about 12 minutes,” Milliman said. “We’re currently seeing 1-2 minute response times.”

When the program launched, it was a 2-year pilot program backed by grants. Tompkins County now funds the program, which has an operating budget of about $500,000.