Full time DeKalb EMS employees will be getting a $3 pay increase starting in January, as the county seeks to make the pay scale more competitive with other area EMS services. County officials say the increase was needed to retain current employees and to entice others to join the EMS service.
During the County Commission’s last regular meeting of the year, on Monday, December 20, the commission voted to adopt a budget amendment for $72,975 from the general fund balance in order to pay for the raises for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2022. The vote came at the recommendation of the Health, Education, and Public Welfare Committee.
Currently DeKalb EMS employs 13 full-time employees, but is budgeted for 20. According to EMS Director Hoyte Hale, the service has struggled to attract new employees, and has lost other members to higher paying positions outside the county. Hale said that with the increase, he should be able to attract new hires and fill positions needed at the service. The raises will be applied to the wage scale, which tops out with 20 years of service.
Commissioner Myron Rhody made a motion at the meeting to adopt the budget amendment, with Commissioner Julie Young offering a second.
But, Commissioner Jerry Adcock made a motion to table the issue, stating that he thought the across the board pay raises night be unfair to employees who have served at DeKalb EMS long term. “This isn’t not fair for somebody who has been at EMS 10 to 15 years, and now they’ve got all their advanced studies. They’re going to get a $3.00 raise, and the person who has been there a year or two, that’s an EMT, is going to get the same amount of raise. That’s not fair. Why not give the people that are up higher more than $3.00, and give those lower less than $3.00?” said Adcock.
Commissioner Adcock’s motion failed with no second.
“Is $3 enough?” Commissioner Bruce Malone asked. “Will other ambulance services go up two more dollars? Do we need to start some sort of pay structure? Is this just a band aid for the ambulance service?”
County Mayor Tim Stribling said that this was a proposal presented by EMS Director Hale, and that the county had no way of knowing what other ambulance services would do as far as pay. “I wouldn’t say this is a band aid, but this is something that will hopefully get us through to June 30th.”
“The raise is to meet fellow counties in their lowest paid EMT positions,” Commissioner Anita Puckett told the commission. “Do we know there are still some discrepancies in our more skilled and trained EMTs and paramedics? Absolutely. That is something that can be brought before the budget committee by the director in April of next year.”
“This is the first step in making sure, and reassuring, that we’re going to be able to hire new EMTs and hold onto the EMTs we have now,” Puckett added.
“We already have a step increase, so the more years you’re there, the more education you’ve got, the better your pay is. It’s probably not enough. The upper group probably needs a little more pay, but there are already in place pay raise step increases,” said Commissioner Rhody.
The budget amendment for the pay raises were approved on a 10-1-1 vote. Commissioner Jerry Adcock voted “No” while Commissioner Matt Adcock abstained because he is employed by DeKalb EMS.
DeKalb EMS operates two 24-hour trucks, and a day truck, Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. with EMS employees operating on a 24/72 schedule.
