Chief Bailey told the Northumberland County Board of Supervisors on a recent agenda that the county’s emergency medical services unit is operating below ideal staffing and faces higher overtime and burnout as a result. He said the department currently has 13 full‑time field staff and seven vacancies and that since Oct. 1 the agency has seen “2 ALS provider, 2 paramedic resignations, and 1 tentative” departure that later accepted another job.

Why it matters: The staffing shortfall, the chief said, increases mandatory overtime and creates a risk of reduced service delivery. Chief Bailey warned that some providers reach the department’s 72‑hour cap and that fatigue raises liability concerns.

Chief Bailey asked the board to consider multiple approaches to narrow the county’s pay gap with neighboring jurisdictions and to retain staff. He presented four principal options: (A) implement the October proposed pay rates beginning Jan. 1, which he estimated would require $130,079.30 in the salaries line; (B) phase that same proposal beginning July 1 at an estimated $260,158.60 for the year; (C) a more modest 10% hourly increase across staff (the chief estimated just over $40,000 in the salary line plus nearly $12,000 for part‑time staff and associated fringe increases); and (D) operate with 15 field personnel on a three‑shift schedule while eliminating five positions on paper.

The chief cautioned the board that Option D has legal and cost trade‑offs. Northumberland County does not qualify for the FLSA firefighter exemption, he said, so shifting to a three‑shift model could actually increase overtime burn even though it reduces the number of salaried positions on the books. He described the options as a spectrum from the more expensive immediate realignment to the leaner, but legally complex, staffing model.

Chief Bailey described recruitment and training efforts and possible offsets. He said Rappahannock Community College and other community‑college paramedic programs are sources of new recruits and suggested an in‑house EMS academy could accelerate entry to EMT basic (he said that, if the county funded recruits and training, they could be up and running as EMT basics in about four months, while paramedic certification generally takes about three years). To reduce near‑term budget pressure, he proposed delaying vehicle replacements in the capital improvement plan and using EMS billing funds where feasible, while preserving funding for patient‑care items such as a replacement ambulance and ventilators.

On revenue and collections: Chief Bailey said the Northern Neck Planning District Commission handles the county’s EMS billing. He reported monthly EMS billing revenue of about $30,000 and told the board an EMS billing account balance as of Nov. 28 shown in the packet as “62169774”; he did not provide a detailed breakdown at the meeting and offered to supply more data in the next report. Board members and staff noted the planning district’s collection rate was described as being "in the nineties." Chief Bailey said collection‑rate and billing‑rate adjustments were under regional discussion through the planning district commission.

Board reaction and concerns: Board members asked detailed operational questions about mandatory overtime, scheduling and the family impacts of longer shifts. One board member told the chief, "I'm getting concerned about the fatigue," underscoring safety concerns for providers administering advanced care. Chief Bailey said staff he had polled privately favored a 48/96 schedule option but acknowledged the board must weigh family impacts and federal overtime rules before making a change.

Pension and leave follow‑ups: County staff told the board it had explored increasing the VRS hazardous‑duty multiplier from 1.7 to 1.85 for law enforcement and EMS and recommended waiting for the new rates in January–February before making a decision; staff also confirmed that moving to 1.85 would be a permanent change. The board was also asked to review a draft leave policy for 24‑hour shift workers provided at the November meeting packet and to return with questions next week.

Actions taken: The board voted to convene a closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2‑3711(A)(1)) to discuss personnel matters, inviting staff as necessary; the motion was seconded, the board recessed to closed session, then returned and verified by roll call that only lawfully exempted matters were discussed. The meeting was then adjourned.

What happens next: Chief Bailey offered to provide a detailed breakdown of EMS billing receipts and collections at the next report and the board asked staff to return with more precise pension‑cost and rate information in January–February. The board also signaled interest in discussing the draft leave policy and compensatory options in a follow‑up meeting.

Quotes: "The providers the field providers in Northumberland County are underpaid, at least compared to other organizations and jurisdictions in the region, resulting in them ... seeking employment elsewhere," Chief Bailey said. "I'm getting concerned about the fatigue," one board member said during questioning.

Ending: The board moved into closed session to address personnel matters and adjourned after verifying compliance when it returned to open session.