Hamilton County EMS Pay Raise Already Boosting Productivity

 Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services (HCEMS) today welcomed the county’s seventeenth ambulance to the HCEMS fleet. In this year’s budget, Mayor Wamp proposed a 13 percent pay raise to all HCEMS employees, which resulted in fully staffing the department and jumpstarting operations in Medic 17, thus reducing response times across the county.

“It is an honor to work alongside the men and women of Hamilton County EMS. These extraordinary first responders serve our entire county with poise and courage —knowing their decisions could alter the course of someone’s life,” said Mayor Wamp. “I am grateful to the county commission for approving the significant pay raise we proposed, which has already increased staffing, enabling the county’s seventeenth ambulance to enter service.”

Since the department has been brought up to a more competitive pay rate, HCEMS has hired 23 new employees—fully staffing the department for the first time in the last decade. This was crucial in bringing the latest ambulance into service as calls have already increased by 1,500 through the first ten months of this year.

“It’s early in the process, but response times are already trending down, and in an emergency situation, every second matters,” said HCEMS Director John Miller. “Being a first responder is often a tireless and demanding job, so I’m grateful to the county commission for approving this substantial pay raise allowing us to expand the scope of our services to perform at the highest level.”

Medic 17 will be housed with Medic 3 at Enterprise South Industrial Park, a central location in the county, until a permanent home is established. This will help with better response coverage for the east side of Hamilton County.