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LEETONIA -- Village Council this week granted permission to the EMS department to continue daytime staffing for 2019.
At the request of Assistant EMS Director Seth Randolph, council agreed to continue the daytime staffing for this year before re-evaluating its efficiency next January. Randolph said he will provide quarterly reports throughout the year.
"I believe [daytime staffing] is a good idea, in order to continue in the right direction for the department," Randolph said.
Randolph earlier this month presented council with statistics from the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to 2017 as well as the complete report from 2018 compared to 2017. The department began staffing of two, six-hour blocks from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with two EMS personnel on Oct. 1.
According to Randolph's report, the 2018 fourth quarter included 148 total calls with 34 dumps for a response rate of 77 percent. There were also 49 transports. The revenue is projected at $17,363.15, with a payroll cost of $1,224.20, leaving a total income of $16,138.95.
During the fourth quarter of 2017, the department ran 137 total calls with 33 dumps for a response rate of 76 percent. There was also a total of 37 transports and the department generated a total income of $13,110.95.
Comparing the two fourth quarters, the department generated $3,000 more in 2018 revenue than in 2017. Randolph said the department was able to increase transports, which ultimately is how the department makes the majority of its revenue.
Councilman Neal Bayless questioned what the plan is to increase the revenue, to which Randolph responded the daytime staffing is the plan. He noted the 2018 fourth quarter report showed an increase of 11 runs from the 2017 fourth quarter and he said he believes it will continue to increase throughout the year.
Randolph also added that the department essentially broke even financially in 2018, with approximately $1,200 in 2018 expenditures that is not anticipated in 2019.
Randolph made the request for staffing in September, citing the need to guarantee staff members are available during times of high dumped call volume. He said 72 percent of the dumped calls are during the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and that by staffing an ambulance during that time will "drastically decrease our dumped call volume and in turn create more revenue."
He said the goal is to run the department at 80 percent call efficiency or better.
At the time, Randolph said scheduling will be handled on a month-to-month basis maintained by current EMS officers. Staffing can be of any level first responder, EMT, advanced EMT (AEMT) or paramedic. Each staff member will be paid two hours for each shift in addition to any compensation for running calls and any staff member not living within six minutes of the station must remain on station while on duty.
khowell@salemnews.net