Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ems Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pipestone County approves EMS pay raises and accepts $64,000 OEMS grant to boost on‑call pay
Summary
The Pipestone County Board unanimously approved permanent increases to EMS volunteer hourly pay and a 12‑month on‑call pay boost funded by a $64,000 Office of EMS grant running April 1, 2026–March 3, 2027; staff will assess permanent budget changes after the grant expires.
Pipestone County commissioners on Feb. 24 approved higher pay for EMS volunteers and accepted a state Office of EMS grant to temporarily increase on‑call pay.
EMS Director Casey Sievert told the board that volunteer hourly rates had fallen behind full‑ and part‑time scales and that the county was awarded a $64,000 OEMS grant to fund a 12‑month increase in on‑call pay running April 1, 2026, through March 3, 2027. The board voted unanimously to accept the grant and to approve the temporary on‑call increase and a separate, permanent increase to volunteer hourly pay. Sievert said the permanent change would raise county costs by about $1,336.44 for the covered call types (local calls, Sioux Falls and Marshall transfers under three hours, transfers over three hours, and recognized holidays).
Why it matters: County officials said higher pay is intended to improve shift coverage and retention among on‑call EMS personnel, which county staff described as increasingly difficult to fill. Sievert told commissioners that after the grant expires the department would consider reworking the ongoing budget and bring any request for a permanent, board‑approved funding change back to the board.
The board approved both actions by voice vote. Dan Wildermuth moved to approve the permanent volunteer pay increase; Chris Hollingsworth seconded. Hollingsworth moved to approve submission of grant documentation for Resolution 59‑16‑26; Luke Johnson seconded. Both motions carried unanimously.
