Cole County approves state ARPA grant and purchase of bunker gear; EMS seeks pay-scale overhaul and two dispatch hires

Cole County commissioners on Dec. 4 accepted a $99,804 award from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHHS) — ARPA funds earmarked for ambulance services — and authorized the purchase of 66 sets of bunker gear from Banner Fire Equipment on a Sourcewell contract at the same dollar amount.

The grant requires a 10% match, which county staff said can be met in-kind by an alternative support vehicle; commissioners voted to sign the grant agreement and to proceed with the Banner Fire purchase. The motions were moved and seconded on the record and the board approved both items by voice vote.

Why it matters: The grant pays to replace personal protective equipment used by county EMS on hazardous incidents. County officials said the award will let EMS update worn gear without drawing general-fund revenue.

How the vote unfolded: A county staff member presented the MDHHS award, described the grant’s 10% matching requirement and identified the Banner Fire quote under the Sourcewell purchasing contract. A commissioner moved to sign the MDHHS grant; a second followed and the motion passed. A separate motion to buy the bunker gear from Banner Fire Equipment, Inc. at $99,804 carried by voice vote.

Staff and next steps: The EMS presenter said the vendor is on a state purchasing contract and that procurement paperwork will follow. Commissioners noted the matching requirement can be met through in-kind equipment already planned for the department.

EMS staffing and pay proposal: During the same budget hearing EMS leaders presented a broader personnel proposal that was included in the auditor’s recommended 2025 budget. The proposal requests two additional 911 communicators to staff a power shift identified by a third-party staffing study, plus an overhaul of the EMS pay grid. Under the plan: the department would (a) remove the bottom two steps of the existing grid so new hires start at a higher step; (b) extend the scale to a 10-year top-out so employees reach a maximum after 10 steps; and (c) raise several bands so entry and top-step salaries move closer to regional peers.

Fiscal effect: Department staff provided three options and said the board’s recommended budget already reflected the middle option — the two new communicator positions plus the pay-scale changes. The full option that includes both steps and new positions increased EMS salary-and-benefit costs to $5,276,835, an approximately $528,430 increase over the “no change” baseline. EMS leaders proposed offsetting part of that increase by eliminating the department’s current holiday double-pay practice and instead granting compensatory leave aligned with county practice; they estimated that change would reduce the additional salary cost by about $155,000.

Commissioner and staff reactions: Commissioners asked for clarifications about step increases, how the 10-year top-out would work, and whether the proposal had been shared with rank-and-file staff. EMS leaders said the change aims to make pay competitive and to encourage internal promotion paths. The auditor confirmed the recommended budget as presented included the proposal reflected in the department’s option 3; commissioners said they would continue discussion as part of next week’s detailed budget hearings.

What remains unresolved: Commissioners and EMS leaders agreed to continue deliberations next week on implementation details, the exact step-to-step percentages, and the administrative change from holiday double pay to compensatory leave. Staff also said they would provide the full spreadsheet that underlies the estimated cost and the schedule used to model progression to the new top steps.

Ending: With the MDHHS award and the Banner Fire purchase approved, EMS officials said they will begin vendor procurement and scheduling for distribution of the new gear; further budget decisions on salaries and staffing will be taken in the ongoing budget process.