Cole County EMS fires three employees while positions remain open

Cole County EMS is down emergency responder positions after laying off three of its employees Friday.

“It breaks my heart because I love working there. I love the people,” said Mike Burks, who worked as an emergency medical technician in Cole County for nearly nine years. “My partner was crying when I left today. We’ve been working together for five years. It’s a sad deal.”

Burks said two paramedics were also laid off.

“It came out of the blue,” he said. “No reasons were given why we were fired. We’re still trying to figure it out.”

EMS Director Jerry Johnston referred questions from ABC 17 News to Sam Bushman, presiding county commissioner.

Bushman said the layoffs were part of the restructuring within the EMS department.

“We’re just trying to make it the best service we can,” he said. “This was just part of the reorganization.”

Bushman wouldn’t comment on why the employees were let go. In an email, county commissioner Jeff Hoelscher cited personnel issues, but wouldn’t comment further.

Burks said the EMS department is understaffed and night shifts are sometimes hard to fill.

“We don’t have anybody to work there. That’s what it boils down to,” he said. “So at nighttime, rest easy Cole County, because there’s not that many people out there to help you.”

Last week, Cole County EMS posted on its Facebook page that it was looking to hire paramedics. Bushman said Friday that there isn’t a staffing problem.

“We’ve got every shift covered. We’ve got paramedics on every ambulance,” he said. “Everything is running the same.”

Burks said that’s not the case.

“They’re on the phone constantly, trying to call people to come fill the shifts,” he said.