By Cheryl Wolfe
The Pantagraph
ROANOKE, Ill. — The Roanoke Village Board has authorized pay raises for ambulance personnel as a way to retain higher-trained staff.
The ambulance service uses a mix of paid and volunteer staff, but an advanced or paramedic-certified EMT must be on call in order for the service to handle advanced care calls.
Chief Ben Frerichs said the pay rate was less than several other area ambulance services.
“We need to try and retain the employees we have and recruit more individuals to come help us a couple days a week,” Frerichs said.
The board agreed to raise the rate of pay from $10.50 an hour to $13.50 per hour for intermediate or paramedic-certified EMTs. The pay for basic EMTs would rise from $10.50 an hour to $11.50 an hour.
Wages had not been increased since December 2013.
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