Compromise Reached in EMS Pay Dispute in Duplin County, N.C.

  WITN-TV DUPLIN COUNTY, N.C. – After struggling to keep emergency medical personnel on staff because of low wages, county commissioners approved a pay raise on Monday, just not as much as first responders hoped for. The Duplin County EMS Department proposed a 17 percent pay raise for all staff. On Monday, the county signed off on a 10 percent pay bump, saying it was a fair compromise, WITN-TV reported. The station reports the county has struggled to keep staff in the past because of low pay. With the pay raise, a Duplin County paramedic will be paid $16.44 an hour. Paramedics in nearby counties earn anywhere between $17 to $18 dollars an hour. One paramedic told WITN-TV the 10 percent raise is not a permanent solution. “We have lost some fantastic paramedics to the pay gap and that while no situation works out ideally in what we do, I feel there are people that are better able to manage those situations with less morbidity, less mortality,” paramedic Gregory Carr said. He added he sometimes works up to four jobs to support his family. The Duplin County manager reportedly said taxes will not go up after the recent raises.  
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Operations Source Type: news