Committee adds paid‑on‑premise paramedic line to wage matrix, approves $28 hourly rate for LTE positions

The Village of Ashwaubenon Finance and Personnel Committee on June 17 recommended approval of a 2024 salary and wage matrix that adds part‑time paid‑on‑premise paramedic positions (seasonal/LTE) at $28 per hour, with an administrative limit of roughly 20 hours per week for any single individual.

Joel (staff member) told the committee the paid‑on‑premise positions differ from paid‑on‑call: paid‑on‑call personnel respond from home or work when paged, while paid‑on‑premise staff are paid to be at the station so they can respond immediately. Chief Rolling (Fire Chief) said the village and the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Officers Association worked on a memorandum of understanding to allow the staffing and that the rate was chosen after surveying nearby agencies.

Chief Rolling explained how the village arrived at the $28 hourly figure: staff and union outreach to neighboring services indicated $28 was “a wage that when we've talked to people from Green Bay to Pierre and Howard, this is what they'd say, yeah, that's something I would actually come and work for.” The committee was told the position is intended to supplement staffing on day or "power" shifts, attract paramedics who may work their home‑agency days off, and not to replace any full‑time career positions.

Speakers described operational drivers for the change. The department reported frequent call volume and paramedic staffing challenges: training to become a paramedic typically takes about nine months, and the department sometimes records 15–16 EMS calls in a 24‑hour period. Staff said paid‑on‑premise coverage should reduce overtime and the burden on career paramedics who otherwise work extended paramedic duties in addition to other roles.

The committee approved a motion to recommend the village board adopt the 2024 salary and wage matrix and the LTE seasonal wage adjustments as presented. The motion passed on voice vote. Staff said hiring will be targeted to paramedics from nearby departments and that the chief will determine exact scheduling; the committee discussed administrative limits on hours and day‑to‑day deployment.

Why this matters: the change aims to increase on‑station paramedic availability, reduce overtime costs and give career staff reprieve during high call volumes. It also updates pay to be competitive with neighboring agencies to aid recruitment.

Background: staff said the paid‑on‑premise concept was included in the current collective bargaining agreement and that implementation stalled under prior administration; the new administration and union negotiated terms to move forward. The committee voted to recommend adoption and authorized staff to begin recruitment under the updated wage matrix.