Patrick Gray, director of Carroll County Ambulance Services has opened a dialogue with county leadership about a part-time paramedic shortage they are facing and the impact it is having on their current staff and budget. He explained that paramedics are opting for positions in the surrounding counties because they are offering more money. This is creating overtime for the current paramedics and the full-time employees are getting exhausted with the added hours. He reached out to the Carroll County Board of Supervisors requesting a change to the base pay.
Gray said the surrounding counties are paying from $2 to $6 more per hour. Supervisor Neil Bock asked if a year from now he believes the department will be able to show a savings, and Gray said he was very sure this would be the case. Supervisors said, fundamentally, they did not have a problem with the request, they would just like more data to show what is currently being spent on overtime and forecasts of what the savings will be. Mark Beardmore also requested that something in writing be received from the union representative about the request.
Gray told the board the current employees have already indicated they have no issue with the proposal, in fact, they were the ones who brought it to him to help reduce the excess hours they are working. Gray also said this impacts paramedics only. The EMT salaries are already more closely in line with what adjoining counties will do. Gray will present the board with the requested information at a future meeting for their review.
