News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County EMS seeking to hire additional licensed personnel as it transitions to a county department.
EMS Director Andy Hall said the service continues to struggle with understaffing and hopes to hire six more medics. He said many of the crew members are working major overtime and up to 120 hours a week.
“Overtime’s really killing right now, two-thirds of my payroll budget is overtime, working my guys over,” Hall said. “So if I can get some at least part-time help, we’d love some full-timers, but a least part-time to cover some of these blank shifts.”
Hall said they are doubling down on recruitment as the process continues for the county to fully absorb the ambulance service. He said they hope that the proposed dollar per hour raise will help in those efforts.
Hall said right now they are looking only for licensed personnel. He said he is working with the county chamber of commerce to find grant dollars to put unlicensed hires through training.
“Right now we’re pretty desperate need for relief for some of my full-time people,” Hall said. “I mean some of these people are working 90 to 120 hours a week, so we need to find people to cover the gaps.”
