Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bonner County Ambulance District outlines staffing plan; minimum staffing set at 27, current roster at 29
Summary
Deputy operations staff presented a staffing update showing 29 current personnel, a calculated minimum staffing level of 27 (15 paramedics plus 12 other positions), recent deactivations of three positions and a plan to onboard paramedic students later in the fiscal year.
Deputy Chief Alan Rickmeyer (operations) presented the district's staffing update, describing recent vacancies, promotions and the department's minimum-staffing calculation.
The deputy chief told commissioners the agency's minimum staffing to keep ambulances at four stations operational is 27 full-time-equivalent personnel, which the presentation defined as 15 paramedics plus 12 additional personnel in other roles. Staff reported the district currently lists 29 personnel after a recent resignation; one further vacancy was reported separately and will be discussed in executive session.
On personnel changes: staff said three positions were deactivated earlier in the fiscal year; a promotion to captain and a promotion into a paramedic position were recorded, and the net recurring annualized savings from those changes was presented as approximately $321,003.29 (figure calculated as the difference between budgeted filled positions at the start of the fiscal year and the active, restructured payroll lines).
Training pipeline and retention: staff said several employees are completing paramedic training during the fiscal year and that county tuition reimbursement historically supported training (staff said the county's tuition-reimbursement program previously provided about $40,000 used by district employees). The deputy chief emphasized the district's interest in retaining locally trained paramedics, noting that turnover to outside agencies would impose hiring and training costs.
Commissioners asked staff to present future staffing-cost scenarios in greater detail at the next meeting, including an itemized payroll breakdown showing current full-time-equivalent staff counts, the district's minimum staffing target and the fiscal effect of promoting employees from EMT/advanced-EMT to paramedic roles.
Ending: Staff will return with a detailed staffing-cost breakdown and with the personnel analysis resolved in executive session where appropriate; commissioners emphasized they do not want the public record to include individual pay amounts discussed in personnel sessions.
