Steuben County adopts ordinance to retitle EMS positions to recruit paramedic trainees

The Steuben County Council adopted Ordinance No. 920 on Jan. 9, 2019, amending the 2019 Salary Ordinance to change job titles and classifications within the Emergency Medical Services Department.

Rodney Snyder, the EMS department representative, told the council that three positions currently titled Paramedic (Pole D) will be retitled Paramedic/EMT and reclassified as Pole D/Pole C, with the classification to be set at hiring based on candidate qualifications. Snyder said the change is intended to allow the county to recruit paramedic students as Paramedic/EMT hires who can move into full paramedic slots after completing certification training, which the county expects will help reach full staffing levels and potentially reduce overtime costs.

The ordinance text included an updated EMS roster: 11 Paramedic positions, three Paramedic/EMT positions and three EMT positions. Snyder also reported the EMS fleet was "up and running and in good working condition" at the time of the meeting.

Ordinance No. 920 was ordained Jan. 9, 2019, and the council placed the changes into effect for the 2019 appropriations, noting the budget had been set at the Paramedic Pole D level so funds are sufficient to cover either classification.