Celina EMS Staffing Issues Return After Several County Budgets Give Raises

Celina’s EMS staffing shortages seemed to be resolved, but the department has once again found itself short handed.

Director Andy Hall said what should be a 12-person team is actually operating with just six people including himself.

“I don’t know what the sure fire answer is, but we are working on slowly getting our raises up, but we are a small service and we have a lower run volume,” Hall said. “So budget wise it is hard to pay those higher wages.”

In the past year, the Board of Aldermen have approved two raises and an incentive program in an attempt to bring in more workers. Hall said at the time it worked, but the department lost employees after several neighboring counties budgeted for large EMS raises this summer. Hall said wages in the private sector have also increased.

“One of the neighboring counties just got a $2 raise on the hour,” Hall said. “That’s two more dollars on top of what we were already behind. We may not have the highest wages, but we do have a great benefits package.”

Hall said COVID fatigue, a lack of workforce and more paramedics becoming nurses also plays a role.