Fiscal court approves EMS pay raises; considering needle exchange program
EMT Mark Bohachevsky, left, accepts congratulations from Judge Executive Dean Watts for his role — along with that of EMT Tim Gillum — who won top honors in September at the finals of the Kentucky EMS Provider Challenge. Bohachevsky and Gillum won in the Basic Life Support division and brought home a trophy declaring them the “Best in the Bluegrass.”
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, 2 p.m. — In an effort to improve Nelson County EMS’s ability to recruit and retain EMTs and paramedics, Nelson Fiscal Court approved a measure Tuesday to improve EMS employee pay.
EMS Director Joe Prewitt told the court at its last meeting that EMS was losing personnel to neighboring EMS services that offer better pay, and the court discussed solutions to the problem.
Magistrate Sam Hutchins reviews the proposed EMS pay scale information at Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.
On Tuesday, the court approved a series of pay scale adjustments that will make it more competitive. The starting pay for EMTs increases $1.25 an hour from $10.75 to $12 per hour. Paramedic starting pay increases $1.50 per hour, form $14.50 to $16 per hour.
Other EMS positions will see raises as well, including $1 an hour increase for shift leaders and coding specialists. EMS field employees will also receive a 30 cents per hour pay increase for each year of service with a cap of five years.
In addition to this year’s raises, EMS employees will get an additional $1 per hour raises in 2017 and 2018.
EMS will also create two new positions and pay grades — EMT Advanced and Critical Care Paramedic, with pay $14 and $17 per hour respectively.
The pay increases will be effective Dec. 1.
The court also approved fee increases designed to cover the higher personnel costs.
PATIENT RECORD SOFTWARE. The court also approved spending $11,997 for a new software package for EMS patient record management. The existing software is designed for hospitals and physicians, and is not tailored to the needs of EMS. The software has also had problems working with the EMS billing software, Prewitt explained.
The new vendor, ESO, also is the software vendor for the EMS services in surrounding counties, he explained. ESO’s software was also the lowest of the three vendors evaluated.
NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM. Judge Executive Dean Watts told the court that he will bring a proposal creating a needle exchange program in Nelson County to the next Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.
Magistrate Keith Metcalfe questioned if a needle exchange is effective in smaller counties. Watts told the magistrates he considers it a health issue. Once under way, an exchange program can be an avenue for addicts to seek other health-related services or treatment for the addiction.
Watts said he expects to bring a completed proposal back to fiscal court next month.
FAIR BOARD GRANT. The Nelson County Fair Board has received a grant for $100,000 that it intends to use on improvements at the fairgrounds, including renovation of Samuels Hall. The fair board will need approximately $30,000 to $40,000 in additional funding to complete the renovations. Watts suggested the county accept the grant money and then oversee the project. The grant requires the fair board to have the improvements completed in nine months, and Watts said he will put a project together and bring it back to the court for its approval.
In other business, the court:
— appointed Bruce Reynolds and David Floyd to the Bardstown-Nelson County Commission on Human Rights;
— appointed Margaret Sue Masters to the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist Commission
— reappointed Josh Hollifield to the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist Commission
— appointed Cleo Philon and Joe Rogers to the Nelson County Extension District Board.
— approved the update to the Lincoln Trail Area Development District regional hazard mitigation plan. The approval will insure the county can qualify for emergency funds should they be needed to help clean up after natural disaster.
— approved raising the minimum hourly time paid to county maintenance staff who respond to after hours calls. Employees who were called out after hours were guaranteed a minimum of two hours paid time. The court approved raising that to four hours of paid time.
— approved an amendment to the county clerk’s budget reflecting an increase in the fees collected versus the budget estimates.
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