VIFEMS Overtime Surges Amid Staffing Crisis, Lawmakers Press for Sustainable Solutions

Staffing shortages have led the V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services to spend more than twice the amount originally budgeted for overtime pay. During Tuesday’s budget hearing before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, lawmakers focused on exploring potential solutions to the escalating costs. Responding to a question from committee chair Senator Novelle Francis, VIFEMS’ chief financial officer, Charmaine Akers-Hewlett, indicated that over $3.5 million has been spent on overtime to date. With a quarter of the year remaining,  this amount is more than twice the approximately $1.7 million budgeted for overtime. “It's no secret that with Pafford, for example, pulling out of the territory, placed all of our paramedics and our EMS personnel into basically overtime response,” explained Antonio Stevens, VIFEMS’ director. “Currently in St. Croix district we have no paramedics." Therefore, the EMS chief and EMS supervisor “are constantly doing those advanced calls, runnin...