Comments on: Escambia EMS Increasing Pay, Manpower; Considering Medical Director Partnership With University Of Florida

By: Well

Well — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 02:04:16 +0000

Citizen is so right , Nashville would be a good place to move back to.
That would be a start for the rest of us.

By: Melissa Pino

Melissa Pino — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 18:02:04 +0000

Chris, I agree with you that the County is in need of a whole-hog cultural change, which will require replacing a number of directors, including some who had been there too long even before the prior administration hit the door, and others who were hired in the last two years.

Unfortunately, the same departments that were screaming emergencies two years ago are even worse now, with other departments having deteriorated as well.

What I can’t agree with is that the current administration and PS leadership should have worried about HR getting its act back together prior to getting this plan in action for our EMS first responders. Even if it weren’t the case that the department had been spiraling into chaos the last couple of years, Public Safety should always be the very first focus of attention. And in this case, Public Safety was in part such a mess *because* of complications from the HR department. Until the leadership of that department has been changed out, there is no fixing it or beefing up personnel there.

In the meantime, this forward-thinking plan is so impressive. While the combination of different medical direction for EMS and splitting back out the jail under different direction can and should have happened two years ago, this new plan has other vital change factors as well, and it’s apparent how well thought out and multi-faceted it is. This is a plan by career professionals who really know what they are doing. Kudos isn’t a strong enough word to Eric Gilmore and the new EMS Manager David Torsell for taking these steps. It has resulted in far more than a collective sigh of relief, but our EMS first responders having a spring back in their steps, and great hope for the future of the department.

A year from now, this horrible period can and should be behind everybody. Right now, things couldn’t be looking better for the people still working at Escambia EMS, and any first responder who will have a renewed interest in considering the County a great career path and a place of promise if you’re an EMT or medic. And I’m sure dispatch couldn’t be happier. Hopefully Fire will soon learn some more positive negotiating tactics, and recognize that the BOCC is ready to play ball if the other side is willing to follow the rules. Starting pay for Fire needed to be raised a long, long time ago.

By: Christopher Curb

Christopher Curb — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 09:09:38 +0000

Eric exhibits the leadership skills Escambia County needs to reform a stressed Department, like many County Departments. Agreed! Higher pay scale is needed across all levels of our local government to stay competitive with other surrounding municipalities. I believe it’s time for the Board to suck it up, and implement needed pay scale and training reforms for all staff level positions in most Departments. This does not mean contracting another expensive pay-scale study to sit on the shelf collecting dust, as to give the delayed appearance of considering needed changes. We’ve already seen the “study game show”; don’t you think? To fix the Counties staffing level problems, first beef up your already stressed Human Resources Department to perform the essential functions of the Department. What better way to improve the County overall, than to start with the In-house Department already tasked to provide Human Resources? Then the Board can support a budget representative of an adequate level of service

By: Melissa Pino

Melissa Pino — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 02:15:02 +0000

This is just so wonderful to hear–all of it. Thank you Mr. Gilmore and Mr. Torsell for your leadership and acumen, and thank you Mr. Reynolds for reporting on it. This article did so much good for the hearts of so many people today.

–Melissa Pino

By: Me

Me — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 22:05:39 +0000

@Citizen, I completely agree with you.

@Gator, Yes the Fire Department’s wages are abysmal as well. That doesn’t mean that EMS doesn’t need a raise in order to remain competitive in the job market. Remember where ECFR gets its emergency funding from. ECEMS piggy bank. .

ECEMS, unlike most other county departments, generates revenue. The BOCC uses ECEMS as a cash cow which happens in a lot of other bigger cities as well. That’s fine with me. The county has to pay the bills somehow. All I’m saying is the BOCC needs to realize that if they want to keep profiting from that cow they’re going to have to invest in the department and it’s people. You have to spend money to make money… it’s just business.

By: Wish I could

Wish I could — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 16:47:08 +0000

Perhaps a free or discounted training would help. In my hometown there is a private company that trains and certifies people. They never have a shortage of EMTs.

By: Gator

Gator — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:31:05 +0000

Citizen, the fire department starts at barely over $11 for FF AND EMT.
FF AND PARAMEDIC certified employees would be in the $13 range.

By: Citizen #61244

Citizen #61244 — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 14:35:11 +0000

19/hr is still low for a fully licensed paramedic. It’s not bad pay for an EMT but with the level of education and experience a paramedic has it should easily be $25+/hr. Sure, you’ll get some paramedics at $19/hr but not the quality of other cities comparable in size to Pcola.
I moved here 5 yrs ago from Nashville, TN and i swear…. Pensacola still has problems that Nashville addressed 20 years ago. It’s like I went back in time when I moved here. Sad.