Jackson County Increases Paramedic Pay

By: Hermelinda Vargas

Updated: Fri 7:19 PM, Apr 30, 2004

Friday, Jackson County's Board of County commissioners approved several salary increases to try to keep existing paramedics and recruit new ones.

For the last year, the county's 12 paramedics have been forced to work excessive overtime to fill shifts after three paramedics left for better paying jobs.

And then last week, two others threatened to quit.

The possibility became a crisis because two more resignations would mean the county would be operating paramedic services with only two-thirds of its ideal staff.

The new raises bring the starting pay to almost $30,000 a year. Existing paramedics will get a $3,000 raise.

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