New Haven pushing recruitment amid shortage of paramedics

A national issue is playing out in the Elm City. New Haven is working on recruiting more paramedics to cover shifts as medical calls continue to increase.

While the city is in active recruitment, filling shifts is a challenge and continues to be expensive.

Recruitment is active and the fire chief notes, they are hiring.

The department is at a 10-year staffing low, according to Chief John Alston. They are seeking to fill about 56 vacancies.

“We are in an active recruitment mode to try and staff those positions,” Alston said.

The biggest strain, according to the department, is on paramedics. He noted it's a national problem, adding they traditionally try to retain about 40 to 50 at a time, but currently, they only have 15.

“We lose paramedics through either promotion, retirement, or through the contract,” Alston said.

Per contract, the department is required to keep three paramedics scheduled per shift. Currently the biggest fear is burnout.

“When you have a shortage of paramedics you have to have them ordered in or hold them longer than you would like to,” Alston said.

84% of the workload on the New Haven Fire service are medical calls, and when you are required to have paramedics on staff, those on duty are pulling a lot of overtime.

“They are pretty hard jobs right, these men and women are seeing some pretty challenging situations,” Mayor Justin Elicker said.

To cover the overtime gap, Elicker has proposed a bump in the city budget. An increase in the fire department's budget of just over $400,000, and most of that money would be covered by waning COVID-19 relief funding.

But Elicker said his concern isn’t the funding, but the safety of residents in New Haven, including those first responders. He said hiring is essential to ensuring safety.

“You think about it, they are working very, very long shifts, you get tired over time. We want to make sure they are responding to a scene fully ready to take care of everyone,” Elicker said.

Elicker also noted that contract negations with the firefighters union are on the horizon, where he noted the city will enter negotiations with the understanding their pay needs to be competitive to attract the best candidates.

Alston is also hopeful for a new lateral hiring program, too, a change to the hiring process, allowing already certified paramedics from out-of-town or state to get out responding to calls, faster.

“If they already have their credentials and certifications, they apply, they are tested they go through our academy, a modified academy, and that would expedite getting people into the ranks,” Alston said.

The chief said there are currently five already medically certified recruits in the academy who are focused on getting trained as firefighters so they can join the ranks very soon.

While they continue recruitment, Alston is also grateful for those still working under difficult circumstances.

“They show up every day, they are saving lives, and tremendous, tremendous output and under strained conditions,” Alston said.