A red hot labor market and inadequate insurance reimbursements are squeezing Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3’s EMS and they are asking the city for help.
City council has not agreed to anything but has been meeting with EMS and fire company officials to try to find a solution, said Mayor John Andrejcik.
“I suspect, with the impending holidays fast approaching, the end of two councilmen’s terms, and two new public servants on council in January, that we can debate their request after the beginning of the year,” he said.
The EMS is an arm of the nonprofit fire company, which was established in 1929.
“We are gradually losing money and our request to the city is 100% employee-related,” said Mark Marmo, chief of the city’s No. 3 fire company, which covers emergency calls in 90% of the city.
During the covid-19 pandemic, the call volume shot up and reimbursements went down, he said.
The costs of medical supplies like heart monitors have escalated, Marmo added.
It’s getting harder to be an EMT and paramedic: Call volume on average has hovered at 2,250 calls annually for the last three years, which is about 15% higher than the previous three years, Marmo said.
The EMS and fire company are asking the city to help them better compensate their workers.
“Some have gone to work in emergency rooms and for other employers who pay a better wage,” Marmo said.
There are 20 full-time and part-time paramedics with Lower Burrell’s EMS, which is supported solely by reimbursements from medical insurance companies.
While the EMS workforce is remaining steady, Marmo said he is worried about the future.
He should worry, according to Jerry Ozog, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute in Harrisburg.
A competitive labor market is affecting EMS units across the state, especially the smaller units, Ozog said
Sheetz, UPS, FedEx and other logistical organizations pay more than what most EMTs earn, he noted.
Although the pay range varies widely given geography and unit size, starting wages for EMTs are $32,000 to $34,000 and paramedics can start at $38,000 to $40,000, Ozog said.
“Most EMTs and paramedics work multiple shifts and don’t have a pension or retirement program,” he said. “Many leave to work for a hospital system where there is a generous benefits package and educational package. The small ambulance service has a difficult time competing.”
The dicey labor market coupled with lower reimbursements from health insurance companies is causing the EMS unit to gradually but surely lose money, Marmo said.
“We are not going under,” Marmo said. “We are asking the city to help us pay our staff better.”
Marmo said that even if the city comes through with some financial help, it won’t solve all of the EMS unit’s problems.
In the long run, Marmo said, he wouldn’t eliminate the possibility of a merger and consolidation of EMS services.
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary at 724-226-4691, mthomas@triblive.com or via Twitter .
"help" - Google News
December 05, 2021 at 07:00AM
https://ift.tt/3EsEE6i
Lower Burrell volunteer fire company's EMS squeezed, asks the city for help - TribLIVE
"help" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SmRddm
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Lower Burrell volunteer fire company's EMS squeezed, asks the city for help - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment