Wilson County EMS presents budget as new northside station nears opening

Emergency Medical Services Director Michael Cobb told the Wilson County Board of Commissioners on the department’s budget and operations, saying the service is preparing to staff a new north-county station and is managing higher vehicle and billing costs.

Cobb said the department’s call volume has returned to about a 4% annual increase after pandemic-era disruption and that the new station in the northern part of the county should shift workload away from headquarters. "For years and years, our call volume was going up about 4% per year," Cobb said. He said headquarters currently handles about two‑thirds of calls; a model that includes the new station would split calls roughly one‑third to the new location and two‑thirds to headquarters.

Cobb said EMS operates with 74 full‑time positions (68 assigned to shifts), about 21 part‑time employees, eight ambulances and one quick response vehicle (QRV). He told the board 68 staff are assigned to shifts and that four shifts equate to about 17 response personnel on duty per day. The presentation noted some fleet vehicles are high‑mileage: the department lists 15 ambulances on its roster but said roughly 13 are regularly usable because two vehicles recently developed major mechanical faults.

Cobb described the department’s equipment and capital requests: two ambulances and an additional QRV in the coming fiscal year, and replacement of older Suburbans and other vehicles as part of a multi‑year vehicle plan. He said delivery times for new custom ambulances currently run about 12 months (vendors quoted up to 18 months in some cases). He also described a capital lease that is year three of ten for monitor/defibrillator equipment, and a planned three‑year maintenance contract on ZOLL autopulse CPR devices.

On operations, Cobb said fall‑related calls remain about 10% of the caseload and that behavioral/psychiatric responses have increased. He reported naloxone (Narcan) administrations were down for calendar year 2024 but cautioned the number may undercount overdoses because bystanders increasingly administer naloxone before EMS arrival; he said 2025 numbers were trending up so far.

Cobb noted staffing challenges: hiring remains active but many EMS agencies have similar vacancy rates. He said the department hires EMTs and supports their paramedic training; base pay numbers provided in Q&A were $50,652 for licensed paramedics and about $41,007 for EMTs (these were identified in discussion as base pay for newly hired staff; Cobb and staff said experience credit commonly raises many starting salaries).

Cobb said vehicle insurance and billing expenses shown in the submitted budget were estimates that staff (identified as "Angel" and others during the presentation) would refine. He thanked long‑time medical director Dr. Hooper, who recently stepped away from the medical director role and will remain an advisor.

Cobb and board members discussed operational details including where the department places automatic CPR/defibrillation devices and how many vehicles are currently functional; Cobb answered questions about placing orders early via nonbinding letters of intent and said the department can use letters of intent to get in vendor queues but cannot spend or budget without board approval.

Cobb closed by asking for questions; commissioners pressed on vehicle counts and delivery timelines, staffing and training partnerships with community colleges and volunteer fire departments. He confirmed the department continues to work with volunteer fire departments and provides updated formularies, skills and training for those partners.

The presentation was informational; the board did not take formal action during Cobb’s presentation.