Ambulance, EMT first responders face ‘crippling workforce shortage’
| The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically worsened a nationwide staffing shortage for emergency medical technicians and paramedics bringing longstanding issues — including low federal reimbursement rates and salary constraints — to a head in an industry already dealing with extremely high turnover.
According to a survey conducted by the American Ambulance Association, the turnover among paramedics and EMTs ranges from 20 to 30 percent annually, resulting in an unsustainable 100 percent turnover every four years. The survey of 258 EMS organizations across the country found that in 2020, nearly a third of the workforce left their ambulance company after less than a year. Eleven percent left within the first three months. |
