Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local EMS staff plead for county action on pay and retention during budget work session
Summary
A Northampton County EMS coordinator told commissioners the service is about five full‑time positions short and urged pay and retention steps; county manager and staff said proposed budget revisions address some concerns and further review will follow before the public hearing.
Michael Barnes, a Northampton County resident and EMS coordinator, urged the board during citizen comment to address a staffing and retention problem in the county's EMS service.
"Right now, we remain about 5 full time positions short," Barnes said, adding that surrounding counties offer higher starting pay and retirement‑matching benefits that make recruitment difficult. Barnes said newer providers sometimes earn comparable or higher pay than veteran staff in Northampton County and urged the county to structure raises by years of service rather than waiting for each employee's anniversary date to implement increases.
Barnes also asked the board to consider long‑term retention measures such as retirement matching and health benefits that continue after retirement. "Tools and equipment do not answer 911 calls. People do," he said, asking commissioners to "hear and value your EMS personnel and invest in those that have invested years of their lives into servicing this county."
County manager Hutchinson responded that EMS compensation issues were included in the manager's proposed budget adjustments and that recent revisions address some of the concerns raised. Hutchinson also said staff will return with a presentation of proposed EMS wage/schedule changes for further consideration.
The board and staff did not take a separate vote on EMS compensation during the session; the manager said public hearings on the overall budget are scheduled for June 1 and the board will consider final budget decisions then.
