Residents of historically redlined neighborhoods face slower emergency medical service (EMS) response times, a disparity that could cost lives. A new study published in JAMA Network Open found that more than 2.2 million people across 236 U.S. cities lack rapid EMS access—defined as a response time of five minutes or less.
The study mapped EMS station locations and compared them to 1930s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation maps, which graded neighborhoods from A (“most desirable”) to D (“hazardous”). Grade D areas, often majority-Black and Hispanic, were deemed financially risky and denied mortgage loans. Today, those same areas are more likely to be underserved by EMS.
Researchers found that roughly 7% of residents in D-graded neighborhoods lacked rapid EMS access, compared to about 4% in A-graded areas. The disparity was most severe in the Great Lakes region, where residents in redlined areas were nearly three times more likely to lack timely EMS care.
The study also revealed fewer EMS stations in urban communities of color, contributing to longer wait times. “Delays in emergency care are associated with higher mortality rates,” the authors noted, especially during the critical “golden hour” following traumatic injury.
The findings add to growing evidence that structural racism continues to shape health outcomes. Better tracking and accountability of EMS response times in marginalized communities could help close the gap.
See: “Historically redlined communities have slower EMS response times” (August 5, 2025)
