By Dolly Butz
Sioux City Journal
SIOUX CITY, Iowa 鈥� The City Council voted Monday to add four firefighter positions in an effort to help Sioux City Fire Rescue fully staff ambulances.
The city has seen more firefighter candidates than EMT and paramedic candidates. Fire Chief Tom Everett told the council before the vote that there were no paramedic candidates on the most recent list. Of the five EMT candidates, he said four were hired and one declined the position. The EMS division currently has four slots open. He there are about 10 firefighter candidates available to fill positions, but no firefighter positions open.
Sioux City Fire Rescue started the new EMS division on Jan. 1, 2018 to fill the void left by Siouxland Paramedics, the nonprofit agency that stopped providing emergency services due to financial difficulties.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been six years with this EMS division. After that first year, we鈥檝e kind of had openings that we were always chasing,鈥� Everett said. 鈥淏asically, since that time, we ramped up recruiting. We came to you and got pay raises. We came to you and got schedule changes. We鈥檝e done mileage enhancements for residency, several other things that just haven鈥檛 allowed us to catch up with that staffing with the turnover.鈥�
Firefighters are required to have an Iowa EMT certification before being hired and they currently perform EMT and paramedic duties, including being first responders on emergency medical services calls. The move to hire firefighters to fill current vacant EMT and paramedic positions will increase the amount of time Medic 5 in Morningside is staffed and decrease overall overtime.
The vote was 4 to 0. Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore left the meeting early, so he did not vote on the matter. The council, however, deferred a vote on a resolution that would authorize Everett to fill vacant EMT, paramedic and lead paramedic positions with firefighter positions through attrition or retirements.
Mayor Bob Scott said he used the ambulance service at least three times in the last four or five years and didn鈥檛 have any issues with the care he received.
鈥淚 can tell you that I couldn鈥檛 tell the difference if it was a paramedic or a fireman. The care was excellent,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why it鈥檚 all or none. There are people who do not want to be firefighters who are very capable of taking care of my family when the need arises.鈥�
The additional costs of firefighters are, or are nearly offset by savings realized from testing, hiring, training, uniform and PPE, on-call personnel, and overtime currently being spent. The immediate impact is estimated at $36,000.
Scott said he is opposed to going to a firefighter-based EMS model, because some people are 鈥渆xcellent paramedics鈥� who may not be able to test to be firefighters.
鈥淚 think you should retain some of these positions as EMTs and paramedics,鈥� he said.
Councilman Matthew O鈥橩ane said he is not against having more well-trained firefighters, but he took issue with the fact that individuals on the 鈥渞escue side鈥� were surprised to see such a resolution come before the council.
鈥淚 can only imagine what some of these people in EMT are thinking, like how many more years until I just don鈥檛 have a job. I think that鈥檚 a lot of stress to put on someone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just concerned that now we鈥檝e got some people in a panic and feel like they鈥檝e had their positions targeted.鈥�
Everett clarified that no current Sioux City Fire Rescue employees鈥� jobs are in jeopardy and noted that there are great employees on both sides. He said the proposal creates staffing flexibility, since firefighters can work on an ambulance or a fire truck throughout the city.
鈥淲hen we have an extra firefighter that day and maybe an opening on an ambulance, we can shift that firefighter over to the ambulance. So it鈥檚 not a given that there鈥檚 automatically going to be firefighters on ambulances right out of the gate. It鈥檚 going to depend on staffing shortages,鈥� he said.
Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr asked if the EMT and paramedic career paths were being taken out of Sioux City and what individuals interested in pursuing those positions locally would do.
鈥淲e鈥檙e losing some people to other services and that includes the hospitals that would hire EMTs or paramedics, a transfer service that might hire EMTs, or whatever,鈥� Everett said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 other opportunities, but it certainly does lessen that opportunity in Sioux City .鈥�
Liz Ford , a paramedic with Sioux City Fire Rescue who serves as vice president of Local 2796, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees representing Sioux City Professional, Administrative, Technical and Supervisory employees, said she is aware of five individuals who want to apply as EMTs and become paramedics.
鈥淲e had six on the last list. I get it, it鈥檚 not 500 people. But we are gaining,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose people want to do those jobs just as they want to be firefighters. Classes have people in them and these people want that as their profession.鈥�
Ford told the council that each division is a 鈥渟pecialized craft.鈥�
鈥淚t is our expertise, dedication and leadership that focuses and guides new EMTs and medics for the future to take care of us all,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust looking at the experience is amazing, since the group that transitioned in 2018 has well over 200 years of experience. I would hate to see that go away for any reason.鈥�
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