Escambia County battling EMT, paramedic shortage causing longer response times
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — A national issue impacting Escambia County. A shortage of EMTs and paramedics causes longer response times.
“It is nationwide,” Escambia County Public Safety Driector Eric Gilmore said. “We do have a shortage of EMTs and paramedics in the field to begin with, and then everybody is experiencing higher volume of calls. We have a population that just likes to call 911.”
Transfer of toll bridge official, toll-free Beach Express bridge Thursday
This year alone, Escambia County EMS has been dispatched more than 32,000 times. Just last week, they made more than 1,000 transports to area hospitals, according to Escambia County’s Emergency Medical Services Dashboard.
Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said the county must prioritize critical emergencies because of the high call volume.
“Dispatch will prioritize the call, if you have an alpha call coming in for back pain or, no kidding a stubbed toe, then we’ll hold that call,” Gilmore said. “That’s something that’s not a priority at the moment of time we’ll put the unit on cardiac arrest or something higher acuity.”
It’s an issue that has citizens like Linda Warrick worried. Warrick is driving around with a message on her vehicle that reads “Our public safety is in critical condition.”
The Lost Resort in Spanish Fort: From ‘fancy’ to ‘forgotten’
She said she would like to see more funding put into public safety.
“Positive change would be our public safety met, 100% adequate,” Warrick said. “Our public safety departments funded 100% adequate. People call for an ambulance; there’s a hospital right down the road. Within 20 minutes, you should be able to save your baby because an ambulance was there.”
To combat these issues, Gilmore said Escambia County has purchased eight new ambulances and is actively recruiting EMTs and paramedics.
“As we get the staffing levels increased we should see lower holding calls. Even the low acuity, the alpha, bravo level calls,” Gilmore said. “But that’s where we are right now, and we’re trying to overcome that like everybody else is.”
Escambia County EMS is offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for new full-time paramedics who join their team. The bonus will be paid out over three years.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
