The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors Monday unanimously approved funding an increase in wages for the Chester Gap Fire Department EMS staff after an hourly wage discrepancy between Chester Gap paramedics and others in the county was brought to the attention of the supervisors.
Rappahannock County splits support of paid EMS staff, such as paramedics, at the Chester Gap Fire Department with Warren County since they respond to calls in both counties. Rappahannock is required to cover 40% of operational costs and Warren County 60%.
The Chester Gap fire department recently asked the county for increased funding for staff wages to keep up with “market forces,” according to county officials.
County Administrator Garrey Curry said because of the unique funding model for Chester Gap, the paramedics are employed directly by the station, not by the county. The county raised their rates of pay to keep up with market pressures, and Chester Gap realized they needed to do the same, but did not have the extra funds to do so.
“Chester Gap is a totally different model. . . the county doesn’t set their pay,” Curry said. “Chester Gap sets the pay for their people, and they could set the pay the same as we pay, however, they would need to have enough revenue coming in to make ends meet, and the agreement that Chester Gap passed with Warren County and Rappahannock County had built in revenue to support a lesser amount.”
In the FY 2024-25 agreement, enough funding was allocated to pay basic life support staff (BLS) $15.07 per hour, and advanced life support (ALS) staff $18.26 per hour. Chester Gap has now increased the pay to $18 per hour for BLS staff and $30 per hour for ALS staff. Rappahannock, again, will be responsible for 40% of the increased funding.
“If you’re a paid provider in our system, you should be treated the same as the other paid providers in our system — all receiving the same compensation. To me, that’s a simple takeaway here,” said Hampton Supervisor Keir Whitson. “I hope that we can use the renewal of the Warren County agreement to make sure they are paying their fair share … but in the meantime, I think we need to do what’s right here.”
Chair and Wakefield Supervisor Debbie Donehey said Chester Gap fire chief Todd Brown was unable to attend the meeting. She said she has discussed with him, and Curry, the need to go over the agreement before beginning negotiations with Warren County for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
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