By EMS1 Staff
RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Millions of dollars are being set aside to upgrade a county’s embattled EMS services.
WACH.com reported that Richland County Councilman Seth Rose started receiving complaints from EMS providers about poor working conditions a year ago.
“People are leaving for higher paying jobs in other counties,” Rose said. “We can’t have that if we want to attract the best and keep the best. Department morale has been low and that’s been clear.”
Rose said response times, management issues, under-staffing and a lack of funding were brought to his attention. The situation came to head when a county administrator resigned after telling EMS providers that they should either quit their job or kill themselves if they are unhappy in their position.
By Jan. 1, Rose said $2.5 million will be spent on equipment and new positons; employees will also see a 5 percent increase in pay by December.