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EMS chief outlines staffing shortfalls, rising call volume and grant opportunities
Summary
Jason Dyes presented on EMS operations: Paris EMS runs four 24-hour ambulances plus a peak-hour unit, reported rising call volume (9,655 in 2024), staffing vacancies, recruitment and retention challenges, aging facilities, peer-support program uptake, and pursuit of a House Bill 3000 grant for ambulance replacement.
Paris — Jason Dyes, speaking for the EMS department, briefed the City Council Monday on operations, staffing challenges, equipment needs and plans to pursue state grant funding.
Dyes described the department as a municipal third-service EMS system that operates four ambulances 24 hours a day for 9-1-1 response plus an additional peak-hours ambulance. He said the department covers roughly 934 square miles with a Lamar County contract and serves a population the department cites at over 50,000 residents. Dyes reported the department logged 9,655 calls in 2024, an average of about 26 calls per day, and said call volume has grown roughly 17.5% over a 10-year span from 2014 to 2024.
Dyes said the department staffs 27 full-time paramedic positions (two…
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