Aiken County Council Committee hears about huge turnaround in EMS Department

Dede Biles, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·3 min read

May 19—Aiken County's Emergency Medical Services Department has experienced what its director, Chris DeLoach, described Tuesday as "a huge turnaround" after struggling to hire and retain qualified employees.

Supporting that assessment was a report that County Administrator Clay Killian gave during a meeting of County Council's Judicial and Public Safety Committee at the Aiken County Government Center.

Killian said there were only three vacancies currently on the EMS Department's staff.

He also said there were no Status Zero situations in the county in April, which meant ambulances always were available to respond to calls for assistance.

In 2020, the number of vacancies climbed to as high as 21 and Status Zero was "a regular occurrence," DeLoach told the Aiken Standard after Killian spoke.

There are 77 positions in the EMS Department's budget.

DeLoach believes the series of salary increases approved by County Council made the biggest difference.

At one point, when those raises didn't seem to be working as well as hoped, the panel authorized Killian and his staff to pay what the market was demanding.

"That brought us up to a level where people want to come work for us," DeLoach said. "I think the surrounding areas are fighting the same battle now that we did. They're starting to go through what we did last year."

County Council also was supportive of an initiative for the county to team up with the South Carolina Fire Academy to conduct a basic emergency medical technician class.

It had 16 students, and 15 completed the course recently and passed the required exam.

"That cleared them to take their National Registry (of Emergency Medical Technicians) test, which gets them certified," DeLoach said. "Some of them have (taken the test) and some of them have their tests scheduled. I believe there may be one or two that will have to get retested. Four of them have brought back their certifications and we have hired them."

Only one in the group isn't interested in working for Aiken County EMS and that is "because of a family situation," DeLoach said.

In a resolution passed last August, other strategies approved by County Council to deal the EMS Department's crisis included an increase in advertising and outreach to attract new personnel.

Also Tuesday, County Council met as a whole at the Government Center.

The panel unanimously approved a resolution that authorizes the county to enter into agreements with J.E. Stewart Builders Inc., Johnson Controls, Kangieser Electric Inc. and Atomic Heating and Air.

Those companies will be doing renovations at the Cooperative Research Center on the Carrol H. Warner Savannah River Research Campus.

The purpose of the project is to provide adequate space and for the New Ellenton-Jackson-Beech Island Summary Court to conduct criminal and jury trials in a manner that allows for social distancing during a pandemic.

The project's estimated total cost is more than $500,000.

Proceeds from Capital Project Sales Tax III and IV will pay for the refurbishment.

In addition, County Council unanimously approved the following:

—Resolutions to accept of grants of $3,536, $7,107 and $5,298 from PalmettoPride for the Adopt-A-Highway program, the Keep Aiken County Beautiful program and the litter enforcement program, respectively.

—The third and final reading of an ordinance that changes the zoning for nearly 2.6 acres that are part of a larger tract at 574 Chime Bell Church Road in Aiken from Residential — Horse 5 to Agricultural Preservation.

—The third and final reading of an ordinance that changes the zoning for 1.31 acres at 107 Cooley St. in Aiken from Urban Development and Residential Multi-family Development to Urban Development only.