Celina EMS Interim Director Andy Hall has dropped the interim title becoming director of the department.
Hall was named interim after Jason Emerton stepped down. A staff shortage came with the leadership change at the time, but Hall said the department now has nine full-time employees.
“Thank the good Lord I have been able to pull through that first month,” Hall said. “Now, I’ve hired some employees back and hired some part timers and stuff like that so now I’ve got a full schedule.”
Hall said during the shortage, employees were putting in 120 hours a week to keep the community safe. Hall said now the main need is to recruit paramedics to come to the department.
“We normally run with 12,” Hall said. “We got nine counting me and I still work on the truck. We’ve got four or five part timers.”
Hall said using local EMT students to drive ambulances has also been a big help. Hall said now that staffing has reached a manageable level, the department wants to get more CPR equipment.