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Committee considers policy change: paid staff and per‑diems to respond to EMS gaps
Summary
Facing imminent daytime EMS coverage gaps, the committee discussed requiring new hires to hold EMT credentials and drafting clearer policy so engines will make patient contact on days when no EMT is available; members asked staff to draft policy language for committee review.
Committee members warned of near‑term daytime EMT shortages and urged clearer expectations for paid staff and per‑iems responding to medical calls. One member said he would request a policy change for predictable days without EMT coverage: "I'm gonna tell you on these days, I have no EMT coverage. If there is a request for an ambulance in my district on these these days, I expect the engine to respond simply to make contact with the patient."
Members debated whether per‑diems should routinely roll to medical calls and discussed limits (for example, lift assists or bariatric calls) where engines might not be needed. The committee asked Frank and other staff to draft a clear policy describing when engines should respond to EMS calls, whether paid staff may transport patients, and how any pay bump for EMT‑licensed hires would be handled.
