CVFRS Staffing Questions (from Tony Kinson 1/19/2022)
The CVFRS website headings: About CVFRS, EMS, and Fire on the CVFRS website, already contain much of the information required to answer many of the questions. I will address those that are not covered by the site.
CVFRS bills all rescue transported calls to the patient or their insurance. This is handled by an outside contractor. Unpaid bills for transports outside of Charlotte are pursued through a collection agency. CVFRS does not pursue collections for citizens of Charlotte. Roughly 56% of rescue calls get transported, which are the only calls that generate revenue.
The four fulltime rescue employees work 40-hour weeks which include three 12-hour shifts on the duty crew. The average pay is $26.80 per hour. They are the only employees offered benefits. They can choose from several MVP gold and silver level plans. CVFRS pays for the employee only, other levels have a 40% contribution for dual or family plans; we offer vision and dental for the employee only.
Per diem pay rates are based on certification level: EMT $16.00, AEMT $18.00, AEMT Crew chief $20.50, and Paramedic $22.50 per hour. CVFRS complies with current IRS employee classifications. Per-diem (aka variable part-time) staff are schedule for less than 130 hours per month or the equivalent of no more than ten 12-hours shifts. How many shifts they work per month or year varies greatly depending on their availability; the main reason CVFRS is advocating to hire more full-time staff.
All volunteer hours, fire and rescue, are tracked by CVFRS and are used when determining member incentives. These totals include training, actual calls, time spent on building and equipment maintenance.
There are no paid fire staff. The volunteer fire certifications vary. Some examples are Firefighter I, Firefighter II, HAZMAT Ops, Ice Rescue, Water Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, USCG Boat Crew, USCG Boat Operator, and Heavy Rescue Tech.
The grant information requests will take more time to accumulate and come in a later posting.
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