The Pulaski County Commissioners are still interested in reimbursing EMS employees for paramedic training, but not in waiving ambulance bills for county employees and volunteer firefighters. Those were part of a list of strategies suggested by EMS Director Brandon DeLorenzo to address staffing shortages.
During Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Chuck Mellon felt the paramedic program was the more feasible of the two ideas. “A lot of companies do some training and then you’re promised so many years of service and that type of thing,” he noted, “but sometimes getting the payback if they don’t last out the term of their contract, is sometimes difficult, too.”
County Attorney Kevin Tankersley said as far as loans go, it’s pretty risky, since there’s no collateral. But DeLorenzo felt that skipping out on a contract would be unlikely, since it would be damaging to a future paramedic’s career prospects and some private EMS services might be willing to buy out a paramedic’s contract, anyway. Sheriff Jeff Richwine said he hasn’t had any issues with a similar training program at his department. Further discussions are expected with the commissioners and the county council.
As for waiving ambulance fees, Commissioner Maurice Loehmer worried that it would be too difficult to manage for the number of people it would attract. The commissioners did agree to let Tankersley continue looking into options for EMS on-call pay, although DeLorenzo said the need may not be as urgent with the pay raises the county council is moving forward with.
