A recent letter to the editor addressed staffing levels at Hinsdale County EMS. It included a false and misleading assertion about our ambulance service. We would like to clarify how the system is run.
HCEMS is staffed by a mix of career, part-time and volunteer responders at the paramedic, Advanced EMT (AEMT) and EMT levels. Staffing for any call is dependent on availability, scheduling and the medical needs of the patient.
Together, EMS works with county leaders to craft and execute on our strategic vision.
It is wholly inaccurate for the letter-writer to claim varying staffing levels is due to a lack of planning. County and EMS leadership has prioritized staffing to the extent they can, as evidenced by significant additional funding, including compensation for paramedic and AEMT positions. It is true that Hinsdale EMS currently rosters only one paramedic in-district through the busier spring and summer season. This is reflective of the extreme challenge of filling such a position in a mountain town in a market competing with larger agencies on pay and housing.
Even if the county were able to hire a year-round, in-district paramedic, this does not guarantee 24/7 coverage. Feeling pressure to be continually in service leads to burnout and deteriorated mental health. The standard for staffing a 24/7 provider is four people: three shifts plus a fourth to cover time off. We cannot expect any one person – real or imagined – to do the job of four. Pay is a factor: nearby Gunnison Valley EMS pays close to $100k a year for an experienced full-time paramedic. We cannot currently compete on pay or total budget.
A minority subset of EMS calls requires paramedic level of care, but most are appropriate for an EMT. Our two AEMT captains are able to administer multiple types of pain medication, and any crew may request intercept by a paramedic from Gunnison or by helicopter.
When you call 911, your friends and neighbors on Hinsdale EMS drop their business and family obligations at any hour of the day to help you – at a typical time commitment of four hours or more. We thank our entire team for their generous sacrifice to the community.
We encourage anyone with questions about the ambulance service to contact us directly
Katherine Heidt, EMS Director
[email protected]
Brad Jones, Chief Paramedic
[email protected]
