Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary asked the county council members Monday night to consider a pay increase for his staff members.
He said some paramedics and EMTs have left Starke County EMS due to wages. He said he compared other services in the area and Starke County is 25 to 35 percent lower than wages in surrounding counties.
Uniform allowance is also low and a lot of the paramedics and EMTs are purchasing shirts and pants out of their pockets. Clary said there is $3,000 available to outfit 50 people. Plus, there are more responsibilities and continuing education that Clary says justifies a pay increase.
Clary said they may look into a third party billing company in an effort to make more money to assist with finding money for the pay increases. The commissioners did recently approve an increase in fees for ambulance service.
Clary presented funding scenarios based on a 20, 25 and 30 percent increases. He commented that something needs to be done to retain and attract employees.
Council Vice President Brad Hazelton commented that they just held public hearings on the County General Fund, but they will work with Auditor Rachel Oesterreich to determine a possible solution. The topic will resurface during the council’s next meeting in September.
