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EMS seeks recruits, expands whole‑blood program; county discusses Medic 10 staffing
Summary
Deputy Chief Chris Johnson told council the EMS division is recruiting for a new paramedic academy, expanding prehospital whole‑blood use statewide, and pursuing staffing to place a daytime paramedic unit below the canal.
Assistant Chief Chris Johnson presented the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division’s FY26 budget information to the County Council on May 22 and highlighted recruiting, whole‑blood use and plans to position additional paramedic coverage.
Johnson said the EMS division recruited a large and diverse applicant pool for its seventh paramedic academy and has extended or is extending offers to 18 candidates who will start in July and graduate in 2026. He said the division has authorized strength of 159 positions with current vacancies that will be filled from those recruits; if all tentative offers are accepted, vacancies would drop to about 21.
Johnson described the programmatic expansion of prehospital whole blood. “Over 200 patients have received this life‑saving whole blood since May of 2023, with 90 percent experiencing positive outcomes,” he said, and added that the county helped expand the clinical program statewide so blood could be used across jurisdictions.
Council members pressed on compensation and staffing. Councilman Treat and others raised concerns about starting salaries for paramedics (reported starting salary was $55,000) and urged the county to consider higher starting pay to retain staff given the job’s risk. Council members also discussed Medic 10, the planned paramedic unit below the canal: Johnson said he expects daytime staffing to be possible after planned academies and field training are complete but that 24‑hour staffing would require further hires and capacity.
Budget changes for EMS were driven primarily by negotiated wage and merit increases ($610,000), internal transfers, annual maintenance contracts for monitors ($91,000), paramedic station lease increases and a $10,000 annual fee for a medication/dose‑calculator smartphone application.
Johnson said the division is expanding peer support and trauma recovery resources for first responders, citing training and partnerships and noting that critical‑incident removal from service and peer support programs are in place.
