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Beaufort County EMS seeks move to 24/72 schedule; committee asked to support budget inclusion
Summary
EMS leadership told the committee that staff exhaustion and rising call volumes justify changing from the 24/48 schedule to a 24/72 schedule; staff requested that administration include eight funded positions in the FY 2026 budget and return with a resolution so hiring can begin.
Beaufort County EMS leaders told the Community Services Committee on March 3 that physical exhaustion, mandatory overtime and increased call volume have made it difficult to sustain the current 24/48 schedule and urged a transition to a 24/72 schedule.
Donna (EMS director) said the system’s workforce is showing signs of strain: "Exhausted and physically, mentally exhausted employees," she said, and described situations in which crews worked 48 hours on and 24 hours off and, in some instances, ran more than a dozen calls in 24 hours. Donna said EMS responded to about 14,200 calls in 2015 and 21,510 calls in 2024 — a 51% increase — without adding trucks or staff.
CFO Pinky and county finance staff outlined a plan to reclassify…
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