By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• New York state regulators will require all ambulances and emergency ambulance service vehicles to be equipped with dash cameras under a new mandate aimed at improving safety and accountability.
• The regulation, published in October 2025, sets technical requirements for cameras including front-facing recording, activation by g-force change, and storage of video and audio for at least 10 days.
• New ambulances must be built with dash cameras starting in April 2026, and existing vehicles must be retrofitted by this fall.
• Larger EMS agencies in the state have largely installed dash cameras, but smaller providers may face funding challenges to meet the mandate.
New York regulators are requiring all ambulances and certified emergency medical service vehicles to be equipped with dash cameras under a statewide mandate intended to enhance safety, accountability and post-incident review, officials said.
The regulation, published in October 2025 by state authorities, outlines technical standards for the cameras, including front-facing video capture, activation triggered by changes in g-force, and the ability to record both video and audio with at least ten days of storage.
Under the timetable set by the rule, all newly manufactured EMS vehicles must have dash cameras beginning in April 2026, and existing ambulances and response vehicles must be retrofitted with the technology by this fall.
Officials and local ambulance chiefs noted that many larger emergency medical service agencies in New York already use dash camera systems and see them as tools for safety, training and quality assurance.
Smaller EMS providers, however, may face financial and logistical challenges in meeting the new requirements, as the mandate does not provide specific funding to offset equipment costs.