“I don’t know when he sleeps:”New chief reshapes Cole EMS
After just over two months, the new chief of Cole County Emergency Medical Services has changed several aspects of the department, including starting pay and scheduling, and he says he’s only getting started.
“We’re trying to makes sure that everything that we do fits the standard nationally,” said Matt Lindewirth, who was an EMS chief in Berkeley County, South Carolina, before moving to Cole County.
Lindewirth was originally slated to fill the deputy chief position under former chief Jerry Johnston, but was promoted when Johnston resigned in June.
Since July, Lindewirth has hired at least 12 paramedics – all of whom have started or will start by Oct. 8 – and made changes to their pay scale, filled several leadership positions and more. The starting salary was increased, and a “step” system with predetermined raise amounts is now in place.
“Now (paramedics) know in seven years where they’ll be, so it creates some certainty for them,” Lindewirth said.
The new deputy chief, Steve Moffatt, also moved from South Carolina to join Lindewirth in Mid-Missouri.
Overall, Lindewirth says he is far from done. He said his list of changes is about 25 percent complete.
“My goal is that in three years we’ll be able to put on the side of our ambulances that we’re a nationally credited organization,” Lindewirth said.
County commissioners say they like what Lindewirth has done so far, and Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman was elated when describing Lindewirth’s leadership.
“He’s got more energy than anybody I’ve ever seen… I don’t know when he sleeps,” Bushman said. “I think our (EMS Department) is going to be the best in the state of Missouri.”
As Lindewirth continues to make changes to the department, employees are being scheduled to work required overtime.
Documents requested by ABC 17 News show overtime numbers have only dropped slightly since then, but Lindewirth said that is because of the creation of new positions and changes to the schedule, among other ongoing changes.
Lindewirth said he expects the amount of unscheduled overtime to drop “drastically” as new hires begin work over the next few weeks.
