The Halifax Fire Department received approval from the Board of Selectmen to create a paramedic-only position as the department grapples with severe staffing shortages that are impacting emergency response capabilities.
Fire Chief Michael Witham presented multiple solutions to address recruitment and retention challenges during the meeting, explaining that the department has lost 12 people in the past three years. The new paramedic-only position would pay between $26 and $30 per hour at the chief’s discretion, representing a $4 hourly increase from current paramedic pay.
“For the last few years when we just sponsored people, we don’t have the funding to pay them. So now I’m going to ask somebody to give up six months of their life and 240 hours of training or more, 270 hours with everything for $0. There’s not a lot of people interested in doing it,” the Chief said.
The paramedic-only employees would be limited to ambulance operations and cannot respond to fires since they lack Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications. They cannot operate pumps, enter burning buildings, or use self-contained breathing apparatus.
“The only function that they would have would be to drive the ambulance, work in the back of the ambulance, and then obviously come back and do the chores around the station,” Witham explained.
The department currently operates with three-person crews, but the chief acknowledged this creates challenges when the paramedic-only position is filled, leaving only two certified firefighters available for fire calls.
The Chief also proposed hiring paramedics and sending them to the fire academy, which would cost approximately $10,000 per person including wages during the 10-week training period and overtime costs to cover their shifts. To prevent new hires from leaving immediately after training, the department would require a two-year contract with financial penalties for early departure.
“The last two that I hired, within 24 hours they went to another department,” the chief said, highlighting the competitive nature of the current job market.
Sign-on bonuses represent another recruitment tool under consideration. Witham suggested offering $5,000 bonuses split between graduation from the academy and completion of the probationary period.
The staffing shortage has significant operational impacts. The department’s recall success rate sits at just 12 percent, forcing reliance on mutual aid from neighboring communities. Last year, Halifax had 90 mutual aid runs, representing approximately $234,000 in lost billing revenue.
“Every time that ambulance goes out with another community, we’re losing $2,600,” he explained.
The department has seen a 200-run increase compared to last year, with projections for an additional 400 to 500 runs annually due to the new walk-in clinic and planned community center development.
“That walk-in clinic, we went there three times the other day,” the Chief said, noting that most patients requiring transport include those with allergic reactions, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cardiac rhythm abnormalities.
Current staffing levels mean that when one ambulance transports a patient, only one crew member remains at the station. Transport calls typically take two hours, including evaluation, transport, and potential hospital wait times.
“By the time you get to someone’s house, evaluate, make the decision to transport, go to the hospital. If you have to get medications, sometimes you’re at the hospital 45 minutes waiting for a bed because it’s so busy,” Witham said.
The chief’s goal involves staffing four members per shift, which would allow operation of both a second ambulance and a fire truck simultaneously during emergencies.
Board Chair Jonathan Selig expressed support while acknowledging financial constraints. “I do think it’s going to take some creativity to try to figure this out, because in addition to your issue, we’re also facing a tough financial year coming up,” Selig said.
The chief assured the board that he would absorb costs within his existing budget until funds are exhausted, emphasizing that hiring the paramedic-only position at the higher rate remains more cost-effective than paying overtime at $60 per hour.
“I can absorb some of it for right now to take the burden off of what’s going on? Yes. But like I said to you, I might pay a little bit of money this way, but if I don’t and there’s nobody there, I’m paying time and a half at $60 an hour,” the Chief said.
The board unanimously approved creating the paramedic-only position with compensation up to $30 per hour at the chief’s discretion. The position will be developed with a formal job description and brought back for final salary determination.
Selig emphasized the importance of competitive compensation. “We have to, as a town, be somewhat competitive, right? I mean, to your point, we’ve had so many positions just open because we can’t attract people because we offer so low.”
The department’s challenges reflect broader regional trends, with surrounding communities like Carver paying paramedics between $29 and $35 per hour, and Plympton offering rates in the $30s depending on experience.
The Chief will work with the Finance Committee liaison to finalize position details and compensation structure before implementation.