Recently an article in the local news in Chiefland, Florida discussed the Levy County Commission’s consideration for giving the ambulance employees a 52 cent an hour raise.   That works out to $20.80 for a 40 hour work week and will buy half a tank of gas where I live. However, when you look at the basic wages being paid for EMT’s and Paramedics in Chiefland, it’s not a sizeable amount. 

Currently an EMT is earning $6.48 an hour and a Paramedic earns $7.48.  For a basic 40 hour work week its $259.20 and $299.20 respectively.  I’m only assuming here, but my guess is there’s probably a lot of overtime hours worked to generate enough income to stay above the poverty level. It brings forth an age old question as to why people who earn a living in EMS have to work overtime on a regular basis to generate enough income to make ends meet. Home ownership is a common dream to most who work in EMS in small communities. Staying on top of car payments, rent and child care is more the reality.

Realizing that EMS delivery systems vary from community to community and one size does not fit all, if its considered a “profession” shouldn’t there be a professional wage that attracts well qualified personnel and retains them?  Food stamps, WIC,  Medicaid, and Section 8 housing should never be considered employee benefits. 

It wasn’t that long ago that employers were working personnel 96 hours and only paying 13 hours for a 24 hour shift. That meant getting paid for 52 of the 96 hours. That broke down to 40 regular hours and 12 hours of overtime. Not to mention that was all time away from family. Spending one’s day’s off sleeping is not a benefit either.

There are many communities across this country that were it not for the good will and endeavors of the local citizens who volunteer their time and efforts that EMS and fire services would not exist. But, when one engages in the activity to earn an income shouldn’t the wages and benefits reflect an effort to attract and keep the best qualified people? Its good business sense regardless of the business.

Recently the EMS House ran a contest giving away $39.04 as the prize for the winning submission. There were only 4 submissions competing for the jackpot.  My guess is for that extra $20.80 a week in Chiefland, there won’t be hordes of people beating a path down to work an entire week for it. Even the funeral homes were complaining to the local Commission at the very same meeting that they were loosing money transporting bodies to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Gainesville and were requesting $195 a trip. And they only want to compensate the EMT’s and Paramedics $20.80 ?

In 2002 the median income for Levy County was  $19,461 while the State of Florida was  $29,758. A base salary for an EMT of  $13,478 and a Paramedic $15,558 and is still well below the State’s  and County’s average income levels.  The local demographics of Levy County demonstrates a lower then average income yet the cost of living is not that much less. With the State of Florida representing 100, Levy County is at 94.15

The ongoing dilemma of why people burn out so quickly and leave EMS within 3 years continues to plague the industry.  The reason I suspect might be one has to put in many hours for training and ongoing certification and when the adrenaline wears off from the rush one gets from helping someone they realize if they continue it’s a path that has a dead end, and there is no pot of gold.