In addition, there are inequities in pay scale among departments and many employees have become frustrated with ongoing turnover, Robinson said.
“Just in the last month we lost six full-time paramedics countywide,” Robinson said.
The county’s first combination fire and EMS department was officially established by commissioners in October 2020, and for the past 2 1/2 years, county staff has been working to help develop the department.
Robinson, who filled the role of director beginning Sept. 9, is charged with the overall direction, administration and evaluation of the newly established department and will plan, develop, implement and evaluate a countywide combination fire and EMS system, as well as policies and procedures.
At Thursday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, Robinson presented to commissioners several staffing plans for the department.
“Our objective is to assure 24/7 fire and EMS coverage to the county,” Robinson said.
Other goals include developing a “standard of cover,” a systematic way to decide on the deployment of resources in relation to the potential demand and historical needs of the community, and maintaining cost effectiveness within the parameters of the county’s finances.
In February, Robinson said he was preparing to hire up to 200 employees in the next two years, as officials secured a contract to provide psychological testing as part of the hiring process.
“We’ve had 27 candidates apply for our two positions — EMS officer and training, health and safety officer,” Robinson said. “We’ll be doing interviews beginning on Tuesday and they’ll go on for two weeks. Hopefully, we’re going to identify two outstanding candidates who we’ll provide offers of employment to.”
Robinson said plans for the rest of 2022 are not final until commissioners approve the fiscal 2023 county budget at the end of May. The board has just begun the budget process and funds have not yet been officially set aside for the fire and EMS department.
As commissioners consider the various staffing options for the department, Commissioner Dennis Frazier, a District 2 Republican, asked for feedback “from the people in the county doing the job.”
Carroll County Breaking News
Later in the meeting, commissioners approved a request from fire and EMS to award a contract to Frederick Health Employer Solutions to provide pre-employment physicals at a cost of $176,754. Frederick Health Employer Solutions currently provides physicals for all Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association employees and volunteers.
The physical is part of a multi-step hiring process which also includes a written test, physical ability test, background investigation and psychological exam. A comprehensive occupational physical will ensure that candidates are physically able to perform the job duties without undue risk to themselves or others. Physicals are completed before hire and on an annual basis. It is estimated that fire and EMS could hire 50 to 150 employees within the year.
“We’re going to have all the career people we hire sign a tobacco cessation document,” Robinson said. “We need to manage our liability and we don’t want people who are smoking or using nicotine products.”
He said the Carroll has the only volunteer system in the state that does an annual mandated physical, adding the department will be doing that same level of physicals for all of the career employees.
“[All who] are involved in the service know of someone who has actually had their life saved as a result of one of these physicals,” said Commissioner Stephen Wantz, a Republican representing District 1.
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