JEMS will add employee

Jay Emergency Medical Service will add a new employee and change its shifts.
Jay County Council approved Wednesday evening allowing JEMS director Pat Frazee to hire an additional full-time medic and to set new hours to coincide with the department’s busiest transfer times.
Council also approved the purchase of electronic poll books for upcoming elections.
Presenting information about JEMS’ financial situation as well as its runs, Frazee told council members that most transfers are taking place between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Her third ambulance and crew works from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., leading to gaps between manpower and workload.
Since deciding in August to accept all transfer calls in order to bring in more money, the department has been able to respond to all but two. But with the shifts not matching the times of peak demand, Frazee said there has been unnecessary strain on the department.
“If we’re going to take the runs out of the hospital and cover all the runs out of the hospital, we’re going to have to think about putting the third truck on at least 12 hours,” said Frazee. “We have a big decision here.”
Frazee told council members she can either have a single 12-hour shift or two six-hour shifts.

Council agreed to allow Frazee to make the decision on how to coordinate the new schedule, giving her a year with the new system to see if it creates a more efficient department.
Frazee also asked council to allow her to hire one or two more full-time medics for the department to fill voids within the schedule.
She told members she plans to remove the title of squad leader in the department and take on the duties herself, which will save around $7,000 and could be put toward the new position.
Council members unanimously approved the hiring of one new medic to begin in 2015 and asked Frazee to return to council every quarter with updates on how the new shifts are working.
Also Wednesday, council approved the purchase of electronic poll books, which allow poll workers to check in voters through use of an iPad and software to scan their driver’s license. They are expected to reduce voter check-in time to an average of 40 seconds.
County clerk Ellen Coats informed members she saved $17,000 this year through combining polling places, cutting down on poll workers and being stringent on meals and wages. Adding that to the $6,000 allotted to her department last year for the purchase, she has enough leftover in her budget to buy electronic poll books.
Council unanimously approved the purchase.
In other business, council members Gary Theurer, Ted Champ, Bob Vance, Mike Rockwell, Jeanne Houchins and Cindy Newton, absent Mike Leonhard:
•Approved a $25 health insurance credit for all employees in December to offset costs of paying their January premium.
•Appropriated an additional $16,400 from the infrastructure fund to Jay County Retirement Center for fencing and garage and furnace repairs.
•Approved transfers of $6,000 from the county’s social security fund to its retirement fund;  $2,000 from the surveyor’s garage and motor fund to its labor account to cover longevity pay; $6.11 to the extension office to cover wages for summer help; $39,000 from local option income tax to cover binder checks for the county’s health insurance transfer to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield; and $582.90 from the cemetery fund’s wages and office supplies to its main account to cover the rest of the year.