By EMS1 Staff
BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. – Due to a shortage in EMS employees, county EMTs are being forced into mandatory 36-hour shifts.
WDRB reported that the county is required to staff 12 positions to run five ambulances each shift. But, there are just not enough people to work.
Employees are asked to volunteer for overtime, but often employees are forced to stay on the clock longer to make up the staffing gaps.
EMS Director Mike Phillips noted that there are safety concerns with employees working 24 to 36 consecutive hours, especially since there are have been two ambulance crashes over the last year.
Officials say Bullitt County isn’t paying an adequate wage and are losing EMS employees to other, higher-paying districts, like the Louisville-area fire departments.
Phillips said they plan on meeting to find solutions to address the mandatory overtime and explore recruitment and retention.