Laredo fire department deputy chief cites staffing, call volume and mental-health support as drivers of EMS burnout

Deputy Chief Robert Gonzalez, deputy chief of EMS operations with the Laredo Fire Department, presented a CPM practicum on paramedic burnout and its causes, prevalence and possible interventions. Gonzalez said he surveyed 35 paramedics across experience levels and found burnout is common and linked to insufficient staffing, high call volumes in some districts and emotional strain from repeated exposure to urgent incidents.

Gonzalez summarized literature on burnout, citing the term's origin and common categories (personal, work-related and patient-related burnout), and noted consequences include anxiety, depression and reduced job performance. His survey of 35 responders indicated many believe staffing levels are not adequate; respondents recommended more hiring, station-based rotation changes (for example adding ambulances at busier stations), mental-health/resilience programs, a potential shift to 1 day on/2 days off schedules, and public-education campaigns on appropriate 911 use to reduce nonemergency calls.

Recommended operational steps Gonzalez presented included a multi-year hiring plan (training academies are under way), formalized burnout-prevention programming (counseling, peer support and resilience training), consideration of alternative response units for low-acuity calls, and a community awareness campaign to reduce unnecessary emergency calls. Gonzalez told the panel the department is already exploring training academies and other staffing measures but urged continued action to safeguard medics' wellbeing and EMS capacity.