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County EMS director (Sandy) urges hiring part‑time paramedics to ease 416‑hour month workload
Summary
Sandy (S5), associated with county EMS, told the board she will log roughly 416 hours in May and recommended hiring permanent part‑time paramedics or advanced EMTs to preserve ALS coverage and allow the director time off; staff and board agreed to consult the EMS advisory board and consider budget implications.
At the staffing discussion the EMS director, Sandy (S5), described the difficulty of covering the director role and regular shifts: she said she will have done approximately "416 hours at the end of this month," roughly 38 shifts, and urged the board to consider hiring permanent part‑time paramedics or advanced EMTs to reduce the director’s operational load.
Sandy said the service currently achieves ALS levels primarily when she is on shift and that the hospital expects ALS certification to be maintained for transfers. She recommended sitting down with Rochelle and the EMS advisory board to explore hiring two permanent part‑time staff to pick up night and weekend shifts, and warned budget constraints will drive any decision. "We have to figure out how we are gonna get money in there to possibly hire..." S5 said.
Board members asked whether applicants exist and whether paramedics would accept full‑time positions; Sandy said she has received inquiries but has not identified a confirmed hire and that advertising through the Iowa EMS Association was the most effective prior channel. The board agreed to continue pursuing options and to consult the EMS advisory board and finance staff to develop cost estimates.
No hiring decision or budget change was made at the meeting; the next step is a follow‑up with advisory board input and a budget review.
