The board was reconvening after their regular meeting on Monday, August 12, where they first discussed the pay increase at length but held off on a decision so they could look at finances first.
Ambulance Administrator Julie Pope requested the increase to as they risk losing employees due to rate of pay. “We have to give them incentives to pick up shifts. There’s no volunteers anymore,” she told the board. The department can’t afford to lose any more staff who’ve already been picking up extra hours while also working other jobs. The “power shift” from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. is the hardest to cover.
PFPD’s EMTs and EMRs were being paid $5 per hour to be on call at home, and $14 per hour when out on a call. Other surrounding agencies pay the same hourly rate and have other benefits, making these departments more attractive to work for, added to the fact that PFPD doesn’t offer benefits. “They know our call volume,” Pope said of the reputation of Prophetstown’s ambulance services, which is much busier than surrounding departments.
For EMTs, she recommended wages be increased to $16 per hour across the board to ensure competitiveness with surrounding departments, and $15 across the board for EMRs. They’ll have to work their 8-hour shift at the station and do other tasks when not out on a call. “The people we have, we can’t afford to lose,” said Pope. For each call, she sends out a paramedic and two basics to ensure the safety of personnel.
Many “complicated factors” are contributing to the department’s budget and decision to pay a flat hourly rate, with the state and federal government only paying 25% of what’s billed through Medicare and Medicaid. PFPD is currently owed and unable to collect about $600,000 from federal and state agencies. If they received proper and timely state payments, they wouldn’t be in this position. Pope said ambulance services are considered non-essential by the federal government, which has an impact on reimbursement.
Most of the district’s calls are transfers from Winning Wheels or Allure, where the elderly or immuno-compromised can “get sick fast,” said Pope. “Where’s the money going to come from?” she asked of the department’s obligation to take calls while getting back a minimal amount of what they charge. “How can you survive on that? We’re the ones getting hit,” she said while providing the following pay rate proposal:
- Paramedics: Out of Town (OOT)- $22/hour; in-town, $14 on call (OC) and $22 call time (CT)
- EMT-B: OOT $14 to $16 per hour; in-town $5 OC to $8 OC
- EMR: OOT $14 to $15 per hour; in-town $5 to $6
- Driver: OC $5 and $15 CT
Due to different educational and certification requirements, EMRs, EMTs, and paramedics have different pay rates. EMRs must complete 54 hours of class time, EMTs complete 156 hours, and paramedics must complete 400 hours.
Pope reminded the board that they must call an OOT paramedic if no one in town is available and then pay $22 per hour, so she’d rather have in-town employees get paid first. The board must also consider Illinois’ minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, effective January 2025.
Pope encouraged the district firefighters to help with driving the ambulance at a new rate of $15 per hour, saying they can log their hours if they go on a call, which typically run 2-3 hours each. She thanked recently retired Fire Chief Gerald Armstrong for helping with some driving shifts.
“The reality of where it stands is that this is a pay raise for locals who will need to go to another job if they can’t cover the bills,” said Pope. If the department loses any more employees, they’ll have to bring in an outside person to cover shifts and then pay them more anyways.
The wage increase will cost the department around $12,264 for the rest of the year. “This is without raising the levy. We have the income to cover it,” Pope said of the proposal, adding that the paramedics, currently paid $20 per hour, are willing to wait until January 2025 for a $2 per hour increase.
Trustee Keith Crady said the board will have to increase the tax levy in December to add funds in the budget for payroll. Trustee Bruce Franks said they already passed a referendum but haven’t done anything with it.
“It’s a solid proposal, and we found the money,” said trustee James Thompson. “The call receipts are up and we’re hurting because the state’s not paying.”
Pope said the community expects an ambulance in their time of need, and she and the board “continuously need to look at this” to keep the staff happy.
“We’re getting our money’s worth no matter what we pay, as they’re doing the job,” concluded Thompson. “It’s an attempt and we’ve been trying to solve the problem since we found the money.”
August 12th meeting – Fire Department Agenda
Trustee Franks questioned whether the department was reimbursed for a tanker rollover crash on I-88 near Lyndon in April, with Chief Micheal Thompson confirming that funds were received for sand, equipment, food, and to replace damaged gear. The board approved bills in the amount of $20,962.67 and the treasurer’s report as presented.
Thompson reported that 19 calls were received in July, with 120 calls so far this year. The captains recently restocked the trucks and tankers and got them serviced. Recent hose tests were completed and went well. The new hose roller, purchased with grant funds from the Moore Foundation, arrived and works great. Engine 5 had to have two new lights installed on the back. Retirement parties for Gerald Armstrong, Thad Bramm, and Travis Dail last month went well. This month’s training is on grain bin training at Rock River Lumber & Grain. The department is still waiting on bids for downspout materials.
New Business
Captain Trever Richmond reported that an inspection of the station’s back wall showed soft outer mortar, but the inner layer is nice and solid. They can either go over it with spackling or fill in the mortar, but tabled action until they can get pricing. No applications for the department were received. The board held a brief executive session, but no action was taken.
Ambulance Department Agenda
Bills in the amount of $39,673.38 and the treasurer’s report were approved. Ambulance Administrator Pope reported 65 calls in the month of July, including eight lift assists. Ambulance crews were set up for Fourth of July festivities, with organizers of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament sending them $200.
Christin Roman asked the board to “try to come up with higher pay for EMS in-town employees” to combat the burnout and loss of essential personnel. She said they’ve lost a few people to other departments where they make more money, have less hours, and get more time for family obligations.
Pope said the state shut down 13 EMS departments last month who couldn’t keep their departments going, so PFPD needs to be proactive in retaining qualified staff. Some who have left the district said the wages are not enough. “We all agree you should get more money – we just don’t know where to get it,” said Franks.
The board agreed to hold a special meeting the following week and look at forming a committee to further discuss personnel and pay. “We’ve got to start by looking at what we have in reserves, come up with a new pay scale, and take action,” said trustee Valorie Armstrong.
New Business
The board approved purchasing a laptop at a “good deal” for the Ambulance Administrator and Assistant Administrator at a cost of $304.99, and two tablets for Ambulance Protocols and Reports at a cost of $253.95. Two Zoll batteries for the Zoll monitors were approved for $1,541.54, as they “have to have them,” said Pope. Two new applications for the department were also approved. Pope said she’s still working on the TCP (time clock) program, and they hope to go live in September.
Armstrong said petition packets are available for the Prophetstown Fire Protection District – one 6-year term and two 2-year terms to complete the unexpired terms. Petitions will need to be turned in no sooner than November 12th, 2024 at 9 a.m. and no later than November 18th, 2024 at 5 p.m. to be on the ballot for the April 1st, 2025 Consolidated Election.
The next regular meeting of the PFPD Board of Trustees will be on Monday, September 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the Prophetstown Fire Station.
