POINT PLEASANT, WV (WOWK) – In the past month and a half, Mason County EMS has had seven employees hand in their resignations.

According to Mason County EMS Director Scott Ballard, those resignations have dropped the county from three ambulances to two ambulances. However, he says at this time, the employees are still responding to and handling their calls.

However, they say this also means the Mason and Apple Grove stations are out of commission right now, leaving just the Point Pleasant Location operational.

Officials with Mason County EMS say they currently have 15 employees, which makes for two trucks per shift. They say that given the county’s population, it would be ideal to have three to four trucks operating daily.

Ballard says a key factor in those resignations was not enough pay for EMS workers. EMS officials say they are pushing for more pay, but if they can’t reach an agreement with the Mason County Commission, it could create even more challenges.

According to Ballard the EMTs in the department did receive a $1 raise that went into effect on July 1. He says it will come out of the EMS budget for this year and bring their pay from $11.25 per hour to $12.25 per hour. However, the EMT Advance and Paramedic employees did not get a raise. Ballard says while those employees also deserve a raise, their pay is a little closer to the competitive rates at this time, and the money just wasn’t in the current budget.

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However, he tells 13 News this increase for the EMTs is still “several dollars” below what EMS workers in other counties across the region are making. Ballard says he has an upcoming meeting with the Mason County Commission to discuss the potential for additional raises.

“We’ve got a large area to cover, and having two trucks to cover that whole ground – it’s a little difficult,” said Jennifer Wood, Mason County EMS Chief Operating Officer. “I think it’s very much so necessary. We do have a meeting with the commission next week to hopefully discuss this.”

Some EMS members who said they preferred to remain anonymous also reached out to 13 News saying, there could be more resignations if changes aren’t made.

According to Mason County EMS, there is at least a $1.30 difference in their hourly pay versus nearby counties. For example, they say Gallia County EMS workers make $13.55 per hour, Putnam County EMS workers make $15:20, Meigs County EMS workers make $16.15, Clay County EMS workers make $14, and Cabell County EMS workers make $19.33.

They also say their employees are working more hours per year than they are paid for. According to Mason County EMS, their employees work 2,929 hours per year but only receive pay for 2,880 hours.

Ballard says the department does have a levy, but with costs of operation increasing in recent years, the money from the levy doesn’t spread as far as it once did.

While Mason County is not having response time issues as of now, they are not only county in the region that has had recent EMS issues. And some of those issues have caused other counties to struggle with slow response times.

In Wayne County, a new levy barely passed at the polls in May to create more funding to help alleviate the county’s slow response times . Wayne County residents have told WOWK 13 News that problem has made them feel helpless after multiple families called 911 only to be told an ambulance wasn’t readily available.

Families and first responders in Mingo County have also been advocating for better emergency care after Kermit VFD Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Kirk lost his wife Chandra to a heart attack while they were taking her to the hospital. they had initially called 911, but were told an ambulance wasn’t available.

On May 1, 2024, a new “treat in place” protocol went into effect statewide to help combat ambulance gridlocks and long emergency room wait times across the state. this means, that instead of taking every patient to the hospital, some will be able to qualify for “treat in place” care, meaning they can receive treatment wherever they are at the time.

This is a developing story, and WOWK 13 News will update this article as more information becomes available.

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