NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans EMS needs people, after the pandemic staff openings hit their peak. Now in 2023 they're yet to bounce back to the numbers they once were at.
Its not a job for the faint-hearted as EMS workers see it all.
"Ambulance work is hard work", and that, "We do need more EMS staff," New Orleans EMS Chief Bill Salmeron said.
EMS workers see you at your worst, and EMS New Orleans staff only go out on 911 calls, 60% of those calls are marked as urgent.
Chief Salmeron said, "We have a lot of sick people; we have a lot of trauma."
EMS New Orleans has 36 employee vacancies, Chief Salmeron said COVID hugely impacted their ability to hire and retain staff.
"We're able to jump into other types of positions and fill the gaps... they've tried to hire more paramedics to be more critical care acute ER technicians and work in emergency rooms and other clinical settings that is not on an ambulance."
That shortage he said, impacts the emergency response time.
"Do we get everywhere as quick as people want us to be? No," Chief Salmeron said. "And that's just not reality anywhere in the country.... I do believe we get to urgent calls in a timely fashion."
Veteran Paramedic Scott Schlumbrecht said the reward outweighs the hard work, he told Eyewitness News, "EMS needs people as a whole. But we need caring people honest, real caring people that do want to get back to their communities
After 16 years in the field, Schlumbrecht just wants his department to get back to where it once was.
"There is an actual joy and satisfaction of being able to help the people where I'm from here, I understand them. I know them, they're me," Schlumbrecht said.
To apply for a position, that information can be found on the city's website, here.
Schlumbrecht said, "It's not just the job. So if you're thinking of trying and seeing where this leads you, I encourage everyone to take a chance here... This could just be a place that makes you stronger."
Unlike NOPD or NOFD, who train civilians to do the job, EMS workers need to be trained before they're hired. New Orleans EMS plans to eventually be able to hire and train EMS workers.
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