Commissioners table Pender EMS & Fire retention and recruitment funding request for further review

Pender EMS & Fire leadership informed the Board that the department has experienced significant staff turnover and requested a package of retention and recruitment measures totaling $899,102. The items requested included longevity payments aligned to county policy, compensation for additional county holidays, sign-on bonuses for vacant positions, a phased salary implementation and $57,000 to run an in-house AMT class to support ALS staffing.

Pender EMS & Fire leadership said the department had lost personnel to neighboring agencies and municipalities offering larger pay packages and that operational staffing had been affected—some apparatus are operating with reduced personnel and several ambulances had been reconfigured to maintain coverage. The department’s leadership told the board the requested funds were needed to retain current staff and recruit replacements quickly.

County staff reviewed the request and recommended funding a subset of the measures (longevity, sign-on bonuses, a partial phased salary adjustment and training) totaling approximately $374,812, and recommended not funding the holiday parity item in this fiscal year because of its larger cost ($~524,000 per the staff math; transcript figures provided by staff).

Commissioner discussion focused on fairness across county departments, the timing mid-budget year, the need to align compensation grades and scales for parity and the governance process: several commissioners asked that the Pender EMS & Fire governing board formally review and approve the package and that county and EMS leadership coordinate an agreement before the Board considers appropriation. County attorneys said the board could table the item to allow preparation of an appropriate agreement. Several commissioners also noted potential conflicts of interest because some commissioners serve as liaisons to the EMS & Fire board and might need to recuse from a final vote.

Outcome: After extended discussion, the Board voted to table consideration and directed staff and the EMS & Fire board to prepare a formal agreement and return with clarified numbers and legal documentation. Several commissioners stated support for targeted recruitment measures and proposed interim steps such as a one-time longevity-type payment for operational personnel while the full packaging is finalized; those proposals will be coordinated between county staff and EMS leadership and returned to the Board.