Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary and Clerk Mary Lynn Ritchie are proposing more full-time paramedics and EMTs to the staff roster in 2019.
Clary said it could save in overtime costs.
“Part-time just sometimes doesn’t work especially during the summer months,” said Clary. “You’ve got people who work a full-time job and they want to go out on the boat or to the beach. So, it’s difficult to fill our schedule. If you look at the cost savings, it’s about $35,588.24 and it’s a savings on personnel with putting on three more EMTs and three more paramedics full-time.”
Clary clarified that some of the current part-time staff members, if qualified, could move into these full-time positions, or they could place outside applicants into these positions.
Ritchie will look closer at the numbers with Auditor Kay Chaffins to include in their projections in terms of insurance costs, PERF and other benefits. Despite these costs, Ritchie believes it will end up saving the overtime line item in the budget.
“That would take care of 960 hours with 24 part-time for EMTs and 24 paramedic part-time hours and that’s all we would need per week,” explained Ritchie. “I’m sure we could fill that and our overtime would just be cut.”
