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| Prospective employees for whom Escambia County had paid for training and certification recently received written offers to "pay the county back the tuition" and several dollars per hour in higher pay to leave our training pipline and join a private ambulance firm instead of going to work for Escambia County....The kicker: This firm actually does business with Escambia County, works in Escambia County, and has historically made huge profits here.... |
It was brought to my attention yesterday afternoon that a
local, for-profit ambulance service with offices nearby attempted to “poach” a
soon-to-graduate class of entry level EMT’s who are currently finishing their
coursework to be certified to work for Escambia County.
Yes---due to the ongoing, nationwide phenomenon of folks not
wanting to work in this field and labor being extremely scarce--Escambia County
has cultivated a group of 9 entry level personnel and agreed to pay for their coursework
and certification in exchange for them to commit to working for the county upon
graduation. A good deal, and the BCC
recently approved the payment of $2000 sign on bonuses to boot.
But now that this group of 9 is just about to graduate and
be eligible for hire on as EMT’s in our EMS department---I’m told this other
company has made written offers to each of these students---offering to pay the
County back on their behalf if they come to work for this private company instead
of the county. Additionally, I’m told
this company offered $2 Dollars per hour over what Escambia County would be
paying them.
Apparently 8 of the 9 future EMT’s were poised to take this
offer as of yesterday.
And then the staff sprung into action with a plan that came before
the board earlier today.
We’re going to match the per-hour pay of this competitor to keep these EMT’s here in Escambia County. This will be paid for within EMS’s current budget, as explained to the board this morning by
EMS Chief David Torsell. “We have been able to staff the transfer (ambulance) utilizing our overtime budget, and that has resulted in income in excess of $200,000 year to date and this represents a revenue increase of 277% over what these transfers generated in Escambia County last year.” He continued “We will utilize this revenue to fund the pay increases requested.”The board approved this unanimously.
Here’s the kicker:
This company that tried this unscrupulous, underhanded maneuver is a
company that does business currently in Escambia County---and makes significant
profit in Escambia County!
I certainly hope that is shut down immediately. Completely, immediately, and
indefinitely. All of it. Shut down tight like sealing a hatch on a
submarine.
I also hope that we spotlight and highlight to these new
recruits that now they will not only make a private-company wage---but they
will have a benefits package that is FAR SUPERIOR to what this competitor
outfit provides. Our pension plan with
FRS is unmatched-- and our Blue Cross Medical insurance is the best priced of
all local governments in the panhandle.
So now we compete with pay parity and a HUGE advantage with
a much superior benefits package. Time
to go on offense with this company—now that they have attempted this sneaky,
unethical garbage-job.
And we will win.
To quote Stifler from American Wedding…… “It’s on likeDonkey Kong……..”
Well it's late at night and it's dark and I'm on my keyboard, my hands are not sweating and I don't think I'm lying so I guess I'll comment anyway.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video of the meeting and I like how New EMS director explained things and the difference he had made with 911 and the transfers being done separately. I liked him explaining how the dagger throwers posting on social media don't get what holding calls means.
I also enjoyed the discussion near the end about the project, in which you promised you wouldn't talk bad about him, but I will say he who will not be named and he who not would not spend his discretionary funding was lying about the other D2 candidate who is smarter than he is.
The project didn't have to be split in two. Gilley did that.
https://ricksblog.biz/beach-haven-boogie/
For some guy who won't be named, posting on hate chat page about oligarch and infrastructure sure has his hypocrisy on full display for the ones who watch was he does, not what he says.
Kudos on your Island Authority Board appointee Ms. Brooks.
ReplyDeleteAs you are aware, I don’t agree with every BCC and/or Island Authority decision/action. For example; I was not in favor of selling Mr. McQueen a 2,744 square foot Casino Beach property for $8,500. Then, allowing Mr. MacQueen’s Club Coco LLC to combine that property with his UFO Golf, moving 16 residential units to that parcel, then re zoning that property to allow for a mixed use condominium complex and hotel on the resulting 3.67 acres. Particularly after the BCC abandoned fee simple on the red herring that fee simple would lead to a loss of public access and a condo canyon - (absolute bunk).
But I am pleased to say that Ms. Brooks is a very insightful individual, and has a calming presence at SRIA meetings.
I attended a meeting last Tuesday evening at the Beach church on the subject matter of pedestrian crosswalks. Ms. Brooks was in attendance and engaged. She’s terrific!
I also, admired your advocacy of the Roger Scott tennis center at Thursday’s BoCC meeting. It was reminiscent of your advocacy for the Civic Center. Good for you!
Also, we could get in the trenches and chat with the the District 2 employees on facebook but wait no we can't they have removed people who saw through them;
ReplyDeleteRe: District 2 Aide and District 2 Intern shouldn't they be following social media policy for employees paid on tax payer dime? They are breaking the policy.
Conner Mann as well as Jonathon Owens.
They are the unprofessionals. Please notify Administrator to deal with that.
If we wanted to act like them in public we could point out the North West Florida Water Management is a State Special District, but Owens seems to be following in his master's foot steps.He could report it himself, since he noticed it.
Counting down the time until the current District 2 are all out of a job.
I was ignoring it but since you put it out there at about hour number three now maybe admin should be handling that.
We already knew they were causing problems for public safety and fire.
Mr. Bergosh,
ReplyDeleteI understand the position you are in but.... why did you not send those prospective EMTs thru the Escambia County School's program which is cheaper, faster and puts out the same product the school you don't mention by name does? EMTs are underpaid anyway. Poaching, while I'm not in favor of, is not a good thing. Please keep your rant in perspective as ECEMS selected the "other" program.
They weren't EMT's coming out of school. They're PARAMEDICS coming out of school.
Delete12:22 AM, I was reminded that Commissioner Barry made a comment about "maybe we could split it up into manageable components for small vendors" (that's a paraphrase, calling it from memory as I haven't had a chance to re-watch that item yet). That is something that Commissioner May had advocated for a lot, e.g. smaller mowing contracts rather than one big contract for the huge areas of the County, and Commissioner Barry had voiced support on that.
ReplyDeleteBut when I saw how the Admin and Doug brought it back, it looked like a hot mess and I said "why are they doing it this way?" I thought I had my answer when I saw that they had blamed citizen involvement on the project getting more complicated in the backup, but now I'm realizing that Joy Jones said there were only two bids on the two projects. Why? (BTW I have heard that Joy Jones finally put her retirement paperwork in yesterday, although I haven't seen the paper or anything...it came from a solid source.)
At any rate, I did not of course insist that the project be split in two--that's nonsense. I provided paperwork to the board saying "here we go again" on a 1-bid or no bid/no RFP contract. And stated that this is a VERY important project for the West Side, Beach Haven, and also Navy Point, since our phase 4b sewer project ties in with the Beach Haven system. And that we didn't need another as-built change ordered fiasco. Because if anybody thinks that project was going to come in at 11.9M when they did the ludicrous thing of building contingency in right up front, I've got a Corry Bridge to sell you.
That Beach Haven procurement was on in a long list of dozens of procurement issues I had alerted the commissioners to in the aftermath of Sally. I don't know how many times I came to the podium on the various issues, but it was a lot. The Beach Haven was just the first one that they said "enough's enough" and demanded it be put back out to bid.
I really hope that for once Doug will have the good of his constituents in mind and at least come up and match the 10% that Commissioner Bergosh gave out of his discretionary to bring the library over the finish line after he took a vicious political beating on it from Doug and Commissioner Bender. That was just awful. ALL of the commissioners are faced with these overages due to the skyrocketing of materials. Maybe for once Doug could give a little bit, ECUA can sweeten the pot, and the rest of the commission show some mercy to the West Side and support the project.
Correction: I'm watching the video of that meeting again and at that point, the previous procurement director had already been thrown under the bus on another bad procurement issue coming from Administration. Therefore Cassie Boatwright was already acting, and had no information on what had transpired.
ReplyDeleteAnyone interested in viewing the video of that meeting, which I'm providing some comments on can view it on my Facebook.
Why doesn't Marlette draw a cartoon of "he who you said you wouldn't name" clutching his discretionary $$$ after he says he doesn't want discretionary $$$$$ on his hate chat site to the people who fall for his lies and Marlette show him giving up all the grant money $$$$ back because he's a miserable failure.
ReplyDeleteIs it maybe because Marlette doesn't actually understand county politics and just takes what he is fed as valid?
Maybe during the debates for D2 commissioner this project can be discussed.
Charging people outrageous MSBUs should be avoided --- don't ya think?
I know the topic gets changed so here's another thought;
Don't forget about the employees in EMS that are already there in your efforts to recruit.
Recruitment PLUS retention go hand in hand.
I think the tin foil hat wearing liars want the county EMS to make a teletransport like in Star Trek and all a citizen has to do is push a button on
ReplyDeletetheir phone and say:
"Beam Me UP Scotty"
and then Bones will run his sci fi medical device thingy over them and " BOOM" they will be good as new.
If not -- it's all YOUR fault./s
"Insufficient facts always invite danger."
- Spock.
"Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them."
- Spock.
In critical moments, men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see."
- Spock,
"Humans do have an amazing capacity for believing what they choose and excluding that which is painful."'
- Spock.
Godzilla Roars. Pathetic clown!
ReplyDeleteArduini says he posts anonymously here then he deleted his comment on the hate clan site.
ReplyDeleteOle JAR and Capt Underpants are in rare form this Sunday. They must not have liked to be called liars. Ridiculous and hypocritical as usual about why don't people just come out and discuss things, after he blocks and hides comments, kicked people off hate clan propaganda site who dissent, publicly embarrass people, gather emails sent in public records and group them together and dox people, use the highest paid employee to sue someone.. costing thousands of dollars.
They are one disgusting group of people.
D2 candidate is setting the lies straight on her page as far as D2 lies about the bid on the sewer project. She still has plenty of energy.
They don't seem to like anonymous comments, It makes it harder for them to file false police reports, SLAPP constituents, report their brother to the bar, or what ever the evil deviants may have up their sleeve.
In life it is best to block these people and cut them out of your life.
Counting down the days.
Unless things have changed in the past decade, ECEMS had a contract with the other county ambulance service, it was for non-emergent transport and not 911 service. Please tell everyone ALL the facts. ECEMS did not want to split their staff between 911 and non-emergency transport because they have a priority obligation to provide 911 services first. That being said, non-emergency transport pays significantly more than 911 response as it is coordinated through hospital facilities and insurance companies primarily and therefore pre-approved and funded. This is unlike the 911 system which is a bill for service system and relies on either insurance reimbursement after the fact or payment from the uninsured. If ECEMS wants back in the transport business, they need to pay competitively, have the equipment for it and the staffing dedicated to meet the demands. If money talks, bs walks, as the saying goes. People have bills to pay and altruism does not put food on the table or keep the lights on.
ReplyDelete