By Bob Bauder
The Pittsburg Tribune-Review
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh plans to recruit more Emergency Medical Services workers and reduce mounting forced overtime costs by increasing salaries for newly hired paramedics and emergency medical technicians.
The mayor’s office said Monday the city paid $2.3 million in overtime to EMS workers through June. Pittsburgh also paid $5.1 million from 2011 through 2015 in worker’s compensation claims because of job-related injuries to aging EMS employees.
Forty percent of the EMS workforce is older than 50, the mayor’s office said.
The city seeks to attract six paramedics and 20 emergency medical technicians by upping salaries.
New paramedics will be paid $17.93 per hour, up from $15.05, under agreements between the city and the Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics Local 1. Salaries for new EMTs will start at $15 per hour and increase to $15.13 per hour in 2017 and $15.61 per hour in 2018, according to the agreements.
The mayor’s office estimated the total cost of increased salaries at $1.2 million and plans to cover that through reduced overtime and lowered workman’s compensation payments.
Copyright 2016 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review