News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County Interim EMS Director Jonathan Beaty’s temporary contract is set to expire Tuesday.
Beaty told county commissioners Thursday night that if a new agreement for his salary can not be met, Tuesday will be his last day.
“The $65,000 for my salary, I am not pending on that,” Beaty said. “If you don’t think I am worth it, just tell me, and I will be done on Tuesday.”
County Executive Jimmy Johnson said with the meeting being a special-called session, the commission could not vote on the request. Members of the commission asked Beaty to hold off on his decision until the next county commission meeting on April 19 to conduct a proper vote.
Beaty said he was unsure if he could continue based on feedback during the meeting.
Along with the salary request, Beaty said he has a three- to five-year plan to restore the service. Beaty said he would like to fill four open paramedic positions with three emts and one paramedic.
“Setting up a policy that they would have three years in order to be in a paramedic program that we would pay for and that they would sign a contract to stay with us for three years after they complete paramedic school,” Beaty said. “I do not believe that we would pull any paramedics from other services at this time, and that our only option is to replenish our staff and get our service back up to not only full staff, but complete with paramedics and critical care paramedics.”
Beaty also requested a three dollar raise for employees and a new pay scale to keep new EMTs in Fentress County.
“The truth is in the past, that in the past few years we have actually lost five employees to Cumberland and Putnam Counties for this same reason,” Beaty said.
An increase for on call pay to $30 a day was also mentioned. Beaty said the revenue of the department makes more than enough to support these requests.
According to Beaty, the county has had four different directors over the last five years. These issues are part of the reason, Beaty said.
