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Scott County approves EMS and fire promotions and adds three EMT positions to shore up six-ambulance staffing
Summary
The fiscal court promoted Madeline Williams to EMS captain and Jeremy Barnett in the fire department and approved hiring three additional EMTs to stabilize staffing for six ambulances; staff said the hires are intended to be budget-neutral by reducing unscheduled overtime.
The Scott County Fiscal Court approved a set of personnel actions and a staffing recommendation for emergency services during its Nov. 14 special meeting.
On behalf of Chief Roni, staff recommended the promotion of Madeline Williams to the EMS captain position, effective in November with a new rate of $21.76 per hour. The court approved the promotion by motion. Later the fire department recommended appointing Jeremy Barnett to a company officer position effective Nov. 22 with a wage of $25.57 per hour; the court approved that promotion by voice vote.
Staff also reviewed EMS operations since moving to a sixth ambulance in July. The department reported persistent unscheduled overtime and explained that a full-time equivalent (FTE) translates to roughly 0.9 effective coverage after accounting for vacation, sick leave and training. To improve reliability and reduce unscheduled overtime costs, staff recommended hiring three full-time EMTs (one per shift). Officials said the move should be roughly budget-neutral because it would offset unscheduled overtime and allow captains or other staff to fill gaps without premium overtime in many cases. The court approved hiring three EMTs on a motion; staff will return with details on part-time pay and longer-term staffing plans as part of future budget discussions.
What happens next: Human resources and EMS leadership will implement the hires and present more detailed staffing and compensation analysis in upcoming budget work.
