Recruiting volunteer FF/EMS

[spenac]

It's an easy solution if the tax base can support a full time paid service based on a record 160 calls. If you figure a "normal year average of 150 calls.

Small town of 2000 population in a rural environment::: probably not going to happen

full time coverage would cost around 250k with a possible 75-90 k in revenue from billing. Awful big tax increase to make up the difference.

Seen smaller get paid.

[bmerritt77]

Volunteer squad that bills is a good model for rural/small squads. Can pay stipends, less time spent fundraising/recruiting, and doesn't have to try to get taxes increased. Best of both worlds. And the billing component is not that complicated to implement or sustain.

[Chief1C]

Usually you can either do one or the other, get paid for calls; or get tax payers to pay for the agency. We could do one or the other. But considering that the pay out for billing would be probably triple what the tax payers could dish out.. I'd say leave the taxes for the fire service.

Spleenac

I have a set of Crampons on the desk here, I'd very much enjoy strapping them to my steel toe boots and kicking you in the shin, spleen. Very much. Possibly forcibly inserting them into an orifice.

Or maybe I'm just having a really bad day, and it's only an hour and fourteen minutes into the day.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Chief1C

[Asysin2leads]

Let me get this straight about volunteer billing. You provide a service... the organization gets paid for the service... and the people doing the service don't get paid. Heck, the people in China assembling the iPhones at least get a couple of cents an hour.

[spenac]

Usually you can either do one or the other, get paid for calls; or get tax payers to pay for the agency. We could do one or the other. But considering that the pay out for billing would be probably triple what the tax payers could dish out.. I'd say leave the taxes for the fire service.

I have a set of Crampons on the desk here, I'd very much enjoy strapping them to my steel toe boots and kicking you in the shin, spleen. Very much. Possibly forcibly inserting them into an orifice.

Or maybe I'm just having a really bad day, and it's only an hour and fourteen minutes into the day.

No thanks I'm straight and not into S&M.

[bmerritt77]

Let me get this straight about volunteer billing. You provide a service... the organization gets paid for the service... and the people doing the service don't get paid. Heck, the people in China assembling the iPhones at least get a couple of cents an hour.

Billing helps meet expenses but rarely covers all expenses, especially with a squad that only has 160 trips a year. Paying a stipend gets the volunteers at least a little money per trip but it would be impossible to pay everyone with the small amount of money generated by billing. And many, many non-profits of every type charge for services while only using volunteers.

The poster asked for suggestions to help with recruiting in his current situation. Billing could help. If the squad wants to become a paid service, that is an entirely different discussion. It would absolutely require additional funding-usually through tax increases.

[Resqmedic]

Surprisingly enough money isn't an issue and people do get paid $15 per hour per run, and we are not a transporting service. I work full time at a ALS transporting department and spend enough time trying to write reports for billing and cost recovery I don't think that would fly well. Although you do raise a good point, as an officer I get paid by the department monthly, the rank and file gets paid quarterly. I do think money is a motivator and I also believe it should be a issue that gets looked at.

[paramedicmike]

If you're offering financial compensation, even if it's only a few dollars per run, then you're no longer a volunteer department. Just something to keep in mind.

[bmerritt77]

Surprisingly enough money isn't an issue and people do get paid $15 per hour per run, and we are not a transporting service. I work full time at a ALS transporting department and spend enough time trying to write reports for billing and cost recovery I don't think that would fly well. Although you do raise a good point, as an officer I get paid by the department monthly, the rank and file gets paid quarterly. I do think money is a motivator and I also believe it should be a issue that gets looked at.

If you're spending tons of time on writing billing/cost recovery reports, then you should consider electronic medical records/billing. Typically free or very low cost...most reporting is done for you. $15 per hour per run wouldnt be much of an incentive for 160 trips but $50-100 per trip might help. I dont want it to seem like Im endorsing any products so if you message me I can tell you about a few open source/free/inexpensive EMR/billing programs that you could use. I would also be happy to answer other questions about the process. I used to manage billing for one of the largest counties in North Carolina so I have experience. Again, not looking to pick up any work, but I like to volunteer my help every once in awhile.

[ClutzyEMT]

It's an easy solution if the tax base can support a full time paid service based on a record 160 calls. If you figure a "normal year average of 150 calls.

Small town of 2000 population in a rural environment::: probably not going to happen

full time coverage would cost around 250k with a possible 75-90 k in revenue from billing. Awful big tax increase to make up the difference.

In North Dakota it will cost you $360,000 a year for a 24-7 BLS only staffed unit

$70k vehicles, radio's, equipment, facility, supplies and insurance

$288k in staffing costs

Usually not something a town with a population of 2000 or less can afford~~