Shortage of Medics May Slow Growth in Texas County

Williamson County Emergency Medical Services plans to open two stations next year to keep up with demand as population grows and traffic increases, but there's a catch: Qualified paramedics are in short supply.

According to local EMS officials, a nationwide paramedic shortage is making it difficult to hire enough staff members to meet the needs of Williamson County's growing population. More people means more demand for emergency services.

"If we can attract enough quality people, we will open those two stations," said John Sneed, director of Williamson County EMS.

But if they do not hire enough paramedics, the station openings will be delayed.

The department needs to hire 12 paramedics to open the stations, located in Cedar Park and Hutto. With two additional spots open because of employee departures, that makes 14 new hires -- more than double what EMS usually hires each year.

The department received 35 applications during the first round of hiring, from September through mid-December, but that probably won't be enough, Sneed said. The department had the same number of applicants last year, but only 22 showed up for skills tests. Fifteen of those made it to the second day of testing, eight were recommended for interviews and only four were hired.

"I don't believe we'll be able to fill all 14 positions during the first round of hiring," Sneed said. "History tells me that. If we do, I'll be thrilled."

Because of the expected shortage, Williamson County EMS is already accepting applications for a second round of hiring, which is unusual, Sneed said.

The last time that the county was unable to attract enough paramedics was in 1997, when salaries were too low compared with surrounding agencies, he said. Since then, the county has raised the starting annual salary to about $46,500, which Sneed said is comparable to other local EMS agencies. Starting salaries of Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics range from about $41,000 to $47,000.

If enough paramedics are hired, the new Cedar Park station on Cypress Creek Road, across from the Austin Community College campus, will have its ambulance in operation sometime in March. The number of emergency calls from the U.S. 183 corridor between January and April increased by more than 19 percent this year compared with the same period last year. The new station, which will serve the corridor, is designed to lower emergency response times in the area, Sneed said.

The Hutto station on Exchange Boulevard would open sometime in August or September and would be the first EMS station in the town. The closest EMS stations are in Taylor and Round Rock.

Recruiting paramedics is proving difficult in Austin, too, said Warren Hassinger, spokesman for Austin-Travis County EMS, which will be hiring dozens of new paramedics next year and faces many of the same challenges as Williamson County.

Many students interested in medicine seem to be choosing to become nurses rather than paramedics, Sneed said. Both careers require a minimum of two years of training, but nursing is appealing because it is a more controlled environment, he said. While paramedics work in a moving vehicle, sometimes tending to patients outdoors in 100-degree heat, nurses are usually indoors at hospitals, he said.

Williamson County EMS draws most of its applicants from Central Texas, which has accredited paramedic programs at Austin Community College and Temple College. But the number of graduates does not come close to meeting the demand, Sneed said.

The county's proximity to Austin compounds the problem, making it is easy for people to work for Austin-Travis County EMS and live in Williamson, Sneed said. Many paramedics work a 24-hour shift, beginning before the morning rush hour, and then have two days off, so the commute does not deter them from working in Austin, he said.

Williamson County EMS plans to advertise the job openings in national medical trade magazines and send representatives to recruit from colleges as far away as Houston. And the department may keep the hiring process open as late as May to attract new graduates.

So far, though, officials say, the shortage has not affected service in Travis or Williamson counties.

And although it will take some creativity to attract more applicants, Williamson County is committed to hiring only the best paramedics, Sneed said.

"It's tough," he said. "We're all competing for the cream of the crop, but this is an area where you can't afford to be second best."

khumphrey@statesman.com; 246-0053