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Hampshire County emergency services warn of payroll shortfall; Springfield ambulance reduced three days a week
Summary
Hampshire County's emergency services (HCSA/HCESA) reported staffing below target and a fee-account shortfall; the board and HCSA leadership said Springfield station coverage will be reduced three days per week to limit overtime and mitigate an estimated near-term payroll shortfall of roughly $112,000 through June under current assumptions.
County emergency-services leaders told the Hampshire County Commission on April 28 that HCSA is operating below full staffing and has taken measures to avoid unsustainable overtime.
HCSA reported it currently employs 25 full-time and roughly 15 part-time staff while its target is about 30 full-time positions. Persistent paid leave and recent employee departures contributed to unbudgeted payouts and higher payroll in recent months, officials said.
To reduce payroll pressure, the HCSA board agreed to drop partial coverage at the Springfield station three days per week, moving personnel to central stations on some days and relying on volunteer crews and mutual aid (Mineral, Frederick, Morgan and Hardee) when county resources are exhausted. HCSA leadership said the decision was data-driven, pointing to call-volume differences among the county's three response areas.
On finances, HCSA staff said the 2025-26 payroll budget was $2,240,640 and that net fee collections were running around 81'2%. Payroll spending through the April 8 payroll was reported as approximately $1,622,372, leaving an estimated remaining payroll budget of $618,268. Under the county's current staffing-reduction plan (keeping payroll under roughly $65,000 per pay period), HCSA estimated the fee account could be about $112,000 short through June if no additional collections arrived; projecting through July with no additional revenue could widen the shortfall.
"Our main goal is to keep trucks going out the door and keep the community covered one way or another," HCSA staff said during the presentation.
Commissioners asked for regular updates, adverse-outcome tracking and continued coordination with regional medical oversight; the regional medical director (Doctor Ben Duell) and a visiting doctor were referenced as providing oversight while the county searches for a replacement medical director after Dr. Charlie Bess resigned. County leaders asked HCSA for an updated plan to present at the first May meeting to define possible bridge measures.
The county will continue working with volunteer companies and mutual-aid arrangements and will reconvene to consider bridging options and possible budget adjustments.
Sources: HCSA staffing and payroll figures presented to the commission at the April 28 hearing; commissioners discussed follow-up actions and an expected financial report in May.
