Fla. County Offers $4,500 Bonus for New Paramedics

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Volusia County is offering a $4,500 bonus to recruit new paramedics as they report feeling the squeeze of a national labor shortage.

By unanimous vote Tuesday, the Volusia County Council approved the recruitment incentives, to be paid in three installments to certified full-time paramedics for a three-year commitment to the county.

The vacancies have piled up since the winter.

"As soon as the first of the year came, we just had an exodus of paramedics," Public Protection Director Joe Pozzo said in July.

"We currently have 19 paramedic vacancies, although we do have one applicant going through the hiring process right now," county spokesman Gary Davidson said Tuesday.

The county is struggling to hire paramedics and correctional officers.

"The challenge with filling open vacancies is an issue of national concern and isn't unique to Volusia County government or even businesses in Volusia County," Davidson said in an email. "In general, these fields do see a higher level of turnover, whether due to being recruited away by other agencies, burn out from what is a high-stress career or other factors."

On July 20, Pozzo told the council they also were planning a $5,000 retention bonus for current full-time paramedics when they sign a three-year commitment to the county, half paid immediately and the other half paid after 18 months on the job.

For new recruits, the first $1,500 installment would be paid upon hire, the second when they clear as a lead paramedic (about 6 months in, typically), the third after 18 months.

The county pays paramedics an hourly wage of $19.99 and EMTs $14.99. Pozzo said they're interested in raising the pay rates, and are currently sponsoring nine EMTs through EMT school. He said six other EMTs were going to paramedic school on their own.

"We will make those bonuses available to them when they graduate," Pozzo said.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, Michael Colman was hired as the county's new EMS director by unanimous vote of the council.

The previous EMS director, Jason Brady, took another job this summer.

Colman was most recently chief operating officer for the Richmond Ambulance Authority in Virginia. He has 29 years of EMS experience, most in the Atlanta area, where he began his career as a paramedic.