BOSTON —

Ambulance delays, staffing shortages, and hospital backlogs are pushing first responders across Massachusetts to the brink, which has led to rising response times across the Commonwealth.

To get a first-hand look at the problem, 5 Investigates embedded themselves with crews from Action Ambulance for two days, witnessing a response to a car crash, a pregnant woman who experienced drug withdrawal, and a mental health crisis. The response to the last call took 30 minutes because there weren’t any other EMTs in the patient’s area.

EMTs and paramedics say that although they will respond to every call, they're stretched thin, and if the bottlenecks in the system aren't addressed, people could be left waiting for help for a longer period of time.

"Could this be a matter of life and d

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