JOHN COFFELTContributor

Coffee County Emergency Medical Service Director Michael Bonner reported to the Ambulance Authority during the Feb. 20 meeting that after a long period of dire staffing shortages the department is currently trending better.

“Right now sickness has got us more than anything,” Bonner said. “Right now we’re running five crews much more regularly.”

Bonner said the department has only two full-time positions available and those are positions that he cannot fill due to employees out on workman’s comp with the intent to return.

Coffee County EMS has been able to increase the number of Advanced EMTs on staff, transitioning away from Basic EMTs.

“Right now we’re not doing any drivers, and we’re not hiring any Basic (EMTs) and we’re telling the Basics they have to get that Advanced (certification) or we will have to replace them with Advanced.”

Coffee County EMS, and the nation as a whole, has faced a staffing shortage since at least 2020.

The Ambulance Authority also approved a motion to adjust the employee pay process to include comp time as spelled out in the county policy manual concerning inclement weather.

Bonner said that per the policy manual, when there is an administrative closing for inclement weather emergency services like sheriff deputies and Emergency Management Agency personnel who remain open will receive comp time hours in addition to the normal pay.

However, when EMS sent the request for comp time pay to the payroll department, they were informed that EMS was not set up to receive comp time.

The Ambulance Authority unanimously moved to create a comp time column that would match the policy listed in the employee handbook.

The policy only affects employees who are scheduled to work on the day of the administrative closing.