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Volunteer EMS leaders warn that proposed supervisor hires could hollow out Calvert’s volunteer corps
Summary
Representatives for Calvert Advanced Life Support told commissioners that adding four new paid EMS supervisors and expanding career EMS could undermine the county’s 37 volunteer paramedics and more than double supervisor salary costs, and urged the board to consider alternatives.
A representative speaking for Calvert Advanced Life Support warned the board that creating four additional EMS supervisors for the career EMS system could have unintended consequences for volunteers who provide a substantial portion of local emergency care. The speaker said volunteer strength in Calvert County is currently "37 volunteer paramedics" and that supervisor salary costs in FY24 were "over... $530,000," with new positions potentially pushing that total to "over $1,000,000."
He urged the board to study alternatives before approving expansion, saying the newly hired assistant chief and existing ALS‑equipped supervisory vehicles already provide some response capacity and that the single option presented so far "will effectively eliminate Calvert Advanced Life Support." He requested commissioners explore other models that support career EMS without driving volunteers away.
