The city of Austin will begin a pilot program next month that will deploy a multi – disciplinary team to deal with mental health related problems within the downtown area. The team will include professionals from Austin, Travis County EMS, the Austin Police Department (APD) and Integral Care. As Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Escott […]
EMS
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EMS station renovations improve conditions for an industry with a high attrition rate
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has been seeing staffing shortages since the pandemic, due to a combination of low pay, difficult working conditions and recruitment from other health care sectors. The vacancy rate has been improving – in July 2022 it was around 25 percent, and in 2023 it dropped to 17 percent. Still, at […]
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Travis County approves comprehensive study of emergency services
At its meeting Tuesday, June 4, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to earmark up to $400,000 toward providing better emergency medical services to areas of the county outside of Austin. In a presentation to commissioners, Travis County’s executive for emergency services, Chuck Brotherton, said the county’s rapid growth and ongoing cost increases in […]
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County funds ambulance alternatives as call volumes remain high
With 911 call volumes still near pandemic records and EMS staff shortages limiting ambulance availability, the Travis County Commissioners Court agreed to spend more for ambulance alternatives. Commissioners voted Tuesday to increase the county’s share in the 2024 interlocal agreement with Austin by roughly 11 percent to reach $17.6 million. The additional funds will be […]
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City, EMS union reach tentative labor agreement with wage increases
The city and the Austin Emergency Medical Services Association have reached a tentative labor agreement that moves the needle on medic salaries. The city announced Monday that both sides have agreed to a deal that, if approved, would give current Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services employees a 4 percent raise or more, depending on their […]
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EMS chief reports improvement in collections
Although Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services continues to deal with a backlog of unpaid bills for emergency transport, Chief Robert Luckritz says the department has made significant improvements in its billing and collections process. As a result, Luckritz told the City Council Audit & Finance Committee Tuesday he expects to clear the backlog by mid-2023. According […]
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City still faces gap in first responder pay, benefits
After a presentation comparing first responder salaries and benefits, and a direct plea from an Austin-Travis County EMS medic, the city’s Public Safety Commission is recommending the city take another look at closing the compensation gap between paramedics and the city’s other first responders. At its regular meeting on Nov. 7, the commission passed a […]
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EMS using medication-assisted treatment to reduce overdoses
Two Travis County programs are proving successful at reducing opioid overdoses and connecting people in need with treatment at a time when deaths from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are on the rise nationally. Last week, the Public Safety Commission heard an update from Austin-Travis County EMS on the city’s opioid use disorder support and […]
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Austin-Travis County EMS, city OK new raises, contract for medical first responders
Austin-Travis County’s emergency medical personnel are getting a raise. The city of Austin reached a deal with EMS negotiators late last month, and City Council unanimously approved the one-year contract with medics on Thursday. The deal is a stopgap, but it does address pay inequity issues the EMS union has been fighting for since the start […]
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Commission urges city to raise EMS pay
The Public Safety Commission approved a broad resolution Monday calling on the city to raise its offer to the Austin EMS union to pay salaries comparable to what other EMS agencies are paying. EMS salaries should be equivalent to what the city is paying firefighters and police officers and what is offered in the private […]
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New EMS chief outlines progress on collections
With a projected budget deficit by Fiscal Year 2027, any news about increasing collections from those who owe the city of Austin money, including the state of Texas, is good news for City Council. Robert Luckritz, who recently joined the city as chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, brought some of that good news […]
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EMS union, city at odds over pay
Twenty-six Emergency Medical Services employees have quit their city jobs so far this year, and according to Austin-Travis County EMS Association President Selena Xie, that’s double the number of separations in 2020 and 2021. She added that, in all of 2019, before the pandemic, 28 medics left the city. She blames required overtime and low […]