Chase County moves to recruit second full‑time EMS worker as volunteers fall short

Chase County commissioners voted Dec. 16 to authorize recruitment for a second full‑time Emergency Medical Services position, citing staffing shortfalls among part‑time and volunteer responders.

During the meeting, a county official (Speaker 1) said volunteers and part‑time staff have been taking extended time off and that one person scheduled for training in January will not be enough to maintain two‑person ambulance coverage. "I'm being told by our part time or our volunteers, it's not gonna get any better," he said, and asked the board to post the job and begin soliciting applicants in the Chase County Leader News, the Emporium Gazette and on Facebook. Commissioners moved into a short executive session earlier in the meeting to discuss non‑elected personnel and wages; they returned and reported "no action taken" in the public record.

The board directed staff to advertise the position and said the posting and recruitment will be coordinated with county staff (Speaker 1 said Connie would post on social media and the newspapers). No salary or budget line was specified during the public discussion; Speaker 1 acknowledged the position was not budgeted in the prior year and said the board needed to consider funding for the coming year.

Why this matters: Commissioners said continuous EMS coverage requires two trained staff on an ambulance and that relying on volunteers is no longer sustainable. The recruitment decision sets the county on a path to fill an operational gap that county officials said could affect emergency response.

Next steps: The county will advertise the job in local newspapers and online and accept applications; the board indicated intention to hire with a target of having staff in place as soon as suitable candidates are found, but did not specify a firm start date or appropriations in the public record.