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Personnel Board approves temporary PDM paramedics as town shifts to in-house ALS service
Summary
The Conflict Personnel Board voted to add a limited-term PDM paramedic classification with pay of about $40'$45 an hour to help transition Concord's ambulance service to town-run advanced life support; the effort was supported by a FEMA grant and the hiring of experienced paramedic preceptors.
The Conflict Personnel Board on Thursday approved adding a temporary PDM paramedic classification to the town's miscellaneous compensation schedule to support a planned transition to an in-house advanced life-support (ALS) ambulance program.
Chief Whitney, who briefed the board on the plan, said the town's ALS program was partly built with federal funding. "Our program was significantly funded through a FEMA grant just under a million dollars," he said, adding that the grant paid for paramedic training for existing staff.
Town staff said the transition requires experienced paramedics to serve as preceptors while newly trained employees complete field competency requirements. The board was told four experienced paramedics started last week and additional limited-term hires will be used to maintain 24/7 ALS coverage during the transition year.
To attract experienced preceptors, staff recommended a pay range of about $40 to $45 an hour for the PDM paramedic classification. The PDM positions are intended as fixed-term roles (roughly up to one year) with no benefits, aimed at helping trainees reach the competency levels required by the town's medical director.
Board members asked how hospital destination decisions would be handled during calls and were told patient routing follows state Office of Emergency Medical Services protocols and coordination with medical control; family preferences can be considered but protocol and medical-control direction govern transport decisions.
After discussion, a motion to add the PDM paramedic classification was moved, seconded and approved; the clerk recorded five affirmative hands during the vote.
Next steps include finalizing the job posting and salary placement paperwork and moving forward with recruiting experienced paramedics for the limited-term posts while the ALS transition continues.
