Danny Lawson, director of Bradley County Emergency Medical Service, reviews staffing challenges with Bradley County commissioners.CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Bradley County Emergency Medical Service is seeking ways to meet staffing needs in light of increased demands for service.
On Thursday, the county's EMS board voted 4-0 to review the department's revenue collections in January and consider recommending adding two full time paramedic positions.
"What I'm asking for is support in the long haul to accomplish what we need to be as Bradley County EMS," said Danny Lawson, the department's director. "It will involve recurring costs."
The question of whether the department can surpass its projected $4.3 million in revenue collections is expected to be a key factor in the planned January review of the ambulance service.
Based on revenue trends of the last four months, Bradley County EMS is on track to collect $4.6 million -- $300,000 over projections -- by the end of the county's fiscal year on June 30, Lawson said.
"If they get that far ahead, we don't need to penalize them, we need to help them," said Bradley County Commissioner Howard Thompson, who is chairman of the EMS board.
Board members and other attending county commissioners discussed how better-than-projected revenues for the year would not address the costs associated with increased staff positions.
Bradley County EMS should be allowed to reinvest some of its revenue in "the business of saving lives" instead of "losing it in the black hole" of the county's general fund and having "to fight tooth and nail" to get some of it back, said Sonny Hayes, a 36-year department veteran.
"I don't understand why it's a constant struggle," Hayes said.
The department now has 56 full-time paramedic positions and about that many part-time emergency medical technicians, said Lawson, who estimated staffing levels have not increased in eight years.
Lawson said his current goal is to hire 25 part-time employees.
He reported that 12 part-time EMTs, including three county firefighters, have been tested and cleared for service as part of that effort.
Lawson said the call for so many EMTs was the result of having to keep current part-time EMTs at or below 29 hours a week.
If the department consistently used part-time personnel in a full-time capacity, the county could be required to provide full-time benefit packages, Bradley County Attorney Crystal Freiberg said.
Affordable Healthcare Act provisions, which go into effect on Jan. 1, also would require the county to offer medical insurance for employees working 30 hours or more, she said.
Over the next couple of years, Bradley County EMS needs to add eight to 10 full-time paramedics, Lawson said.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.