Of the four employees to leave the Fire Department this past spring, three were paramedics.
And while their positions have since been filled, three of the new hires are EMTs, or emergency medical technicians, according to Fire Chief David DeStefano. Unlike paramedics, who can provide more advanced life support — such as intravenous therapy or defibrillation — EMTs provide basic life support.
“We’re having some difficulty replacing [former staff] with paramedics,” said DeStefano.
According to DeStefano, the challenge faced by Belmont is not unique to his department, but rather a reflection of a statewide paramedic shortage.
“There are just not that many paramedics to be had,” he said. “Everyone is feeling this, from private ambulances to municipal fire departments.”
To address that shortage, DeStefano is working with town administrators on developing an EMT to paramedic training program.
“We have at least one EMT now that is very interested in becoming a paramedic,” he told the Select Board at a recent meeting. “I believe we can hire EMTs and send them to paramedic school. That will make the department more sustainable in the future.”
Currently, the department has 33 EMTs and 18 paramedics. According to DeStefano, in addition to an advanced life support (ALS) ambulance, the department “almost always” has at least one engine company with a paramedic capable of providing the same level of support as an ALS ambulance.
“In virtually all cases, residents of Belmont are receiving ALS care in less than five minutes from personnel on fire apparatus, an ambulance, or both,” he said.
As a recruitment incentive, officials hope the training program will also help to improve retention within the department. In addition, Town Administrator Patrice Garvin said the town plans to complete a compensation study to see how the pay scale compares to “comparable communities.”
“We’re not flush with cash but … we aspire to do what we can for our employees who work very hard for the town,” said Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne.
DeStefano said that over the past five years, the Fire Department has had a turnover rate of about 4.2 people per year. The department was on track until about mid-May, when the chief received notice that he would be losing four employees between June and July, “which was a big hit for us to take.”
“We’ve made some inroads in that,” he said. “We’ve identified some folks, we’ve hired some folks, we have some in the vetting process.”
In total, the department had six vacancies to fill. Of those positions, one has been filled with a person who is deployed with the military; another hire is enrolled at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy with a graduation expected in August. The department is ready to hire another individual who will attend the Firefighting Academy in October. And finally, the vetting process is underway for two more candidates.
“Once all that takes place, there will be one vacancy left unfilled at this point,” he said.
As the head of a Civil Service department, the chief was provided a list about a month ago looking to fill three positions. From that, he received 12 to 15 candidates, 10 of whom received interviews. Compared to past years, however, he received fewer candidates with paramedic certifications.
DeStefano said a paramedic training program would not only serve incoming hires but allow current staff to upgrade their skills.
“These folks are vetted; they’re good employees,” DeStefano said. “If we can get them interested in going to paramedic school and provide an avenue to increase their skill set, I think that would be a huge benefit to the department.”