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Scurry County EMS seeks pay increases and education coordinator as private providers loom
Summary
Scurry County EMS director Jason asked the commissioners to adjust salary brackets and fund a dedicated education coordinator to recruit and train local EMTs; he warned a private company, Allegiance, is contracting for 9-1-1 services nearby and cited competitive pay pressures.
Scurry County’s EMS director, Jason, told the commissioners the county’s emergency medical services need both pay adjustments and a new education coordinator to sustain staffing and in-house training. He proposed raising salary brackets roughly 10%–15% and creating a position dedicated to EMT education, saying those steps would help recruit locals and retain experienced personnel.
Jason said EMS wages have risen sharply since the pandemic and that the county has not overhauled pay brackets since about 2010. He told the court he has done a local salary survey and argued the proposed increases would better align Scurry County pay with nearby departments and private employers. "We need an education coordinator in order to have a true EMT program," Jason said, arguing the role would let the county teach and certify candidates locally rather than rely on outside providers.
Jason also warned of regional competition from private ambulance firms. He cited Allegiance, a private ambulance company contracted by the city of Big Spring to provide 9-1-1 service, and said that arrangement demonstrates how private providers can enter a market and later seek larger subsidies. "They were paid — it was around a million-dollar contract," Jason said, adding he did not have the exact contract terms on hand.
Commissioners asked for more detail, including costs tied to bracket increases and the estimated annual cost of an education coordinator. The court agreed not to make any final budgetary decisions at this meeting because several commissioners were absent and asked Jason to return with supporting documentation and the wage-survey data.
The court also discussed alternative funding approaches: Jason noted the city of Snyder does not currently subsidize county EMS and said forming an emergency services district could be one option to capture additional local funding, but commissioners cautioned that would shift tax burden and requires voter approval or other local processes. Jason described the private-provider threat as his primary staffing concern and asked the court to consider both one-time and recurring funding needs to stabilize the EMS workforce.
The commissioners did not take any formal votes; they requested detailed cost estimates and asked Jason to return next week with documentation on the proposed bracket adjustments and the education coordinator job description.
