In an effort to improve employee recruitment and retention in an ever-challenging and competitive market, Osage Ambulance District board members at their December meeting agreed to a salary increase, along with changes to other benefits.

“Everyone understands how difficult it is to hire and keep good employees, especially during the COVID pandemic,” said Administrator Josh Krull. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure our employees feel appreciated.”

Toward that end, all full-time paramedics as of Jan. 1 received a $5,000 per year salary bump and EMTs got a $3,000 per year increase.

Additionally, employee health insurance, approved at a previous meeting, has changed to Anthem Blue Preferred and the district will pay 100% of employee insurance.

A new feature is a healthcare spending allowance of $100 per month for full-time employees toward dental, vision, pretax liberty healthcare benefit, or dependent healthcare premium.

Because the IRS increased contribution limits of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), OAD added to the benefit for employees who have been with the district 12 or more years, moving that amount to $2,850. Board members are also allowing that benefit amount to be applied to a dependent’s healthcare premium if not an FSA account.

A change was made from a simple IRA retirement account with a 3% match to be a 457 plan with up to 5% employer match with a vesting schedule.

Finally, the district increased the amount of paid time off for full-time employees as follows: 1-3 years (96 hours), 4-6 years (120 hours), 7-10 years (144 hours), and 11-plus years (168 hours).

All of these items were presented in the 2022 budget, which was also approved at this meeting by board members.

OAD has seen an increase in service fees over what Krull budgeted for 2021, so the new budget anticipates $1,500,000, up from $1,200,000. As of the December meeting, using figures through the end of November, the district had generated $1,476,296.42 in service fees in the current year.

Missouri state sales tax was up slightly, from $350,000 in the budget to $394,481.62 as of Nov. 30, and property taxes were slated at $230,000 and had generated $237,988.31. The FY 22 budget was set at $375,000 and $250,000, respectively, and Krull said December figures will be presented to the board in January.

Overall, with 11 months calculated, OAD was in great shape, with total revenues of $2,932,278.09 eclipsing the budgeted amount of $1,780,000. Of actual figures, $704,065.08 came from deployment reimbursement via FEMA through the district’s contract with American Medical Response (AMR). OAD also received $117,840.26 in grant income through Nov. 30.

Expenses, meanwhile, are budgeted at $2,017,000 for FY 22 after coming in well below FY 21’s anticipated costs of $1,716,00 as the district through the end of November had spent $1,519,422.17.

The biggest expense is salaries at $1,560,000, up from the $1,050,000 slated in 2021, with actual figures coming in at $998,800.14. 

Also approved: vehicle expenses ($200,000), operational insurance ($56,000), medical supplies ($50,000), utilities ($38,000), membership dues ($35,000), legal and professional fees ($20,000), building expenses ($20,000), office expenses ($15,000), education ($10,000), uniforms ($12,000), and advertising ($1,000).

Krull does not anticipate any changes to the budget following a review of final figures at the January meeting but noted amendments may be made at any time.

“We are in very good shape and the budget reflects our desire to maintain sound financial decisions,” said Krull. “We continue to make improvements to every aspect of the operation.”

To provide a reserve for the district, board members approved a $100,000 certificate of deposit (CD) through Legends Bank at a rate of .40% for 12 months.

“We felt it was better to put some of our funds in a CD for emergencies,” said Krull. “We’ll earn a little more interest and both the checking and money market accounts are in solid shape.”

In other business, Krull told the board the return to Osage Count 911 officially began Dec. 30, and there have been no major issues.

“They’ve been overly helpful with programming to do dispatching the way we need them to do it, and they’ve agreed to do the things that were either previously done by Osage County or things that Gasconade County has done for us,” said Krull. “They’ve been very accommodating.”

Likewise, Gasconade County has supported Krull in the transition. “We gave them enough notice and they were prepared for it,” he added, noting the return could have been done sooner but he wanted to make sure Gasconade County was fully prepared for it. “There will be no hard feelings with us leaving and we’ll be welcomed back if the need should arise.”

* Board members tabled a discussion of soliciting bids for accounting services.

Krull explained that a proposal from Graves & Associates in Jefferson City came in at $5,500. Krull asked if the increase could be spread over a long-term contract but was told that was not possible.

“There is a shortage of accounting services so, with a higher demand, they’re not going to change the payment schedule,” Krull said.

By law, the district is required to submit either a full audit or a financial report to the State Auditor’s Office, and Krull said it’s too late to pull together bids for someone to conduct the FY21 audit. As a result, by consensus, the board agreed to utilize Graves & Associates for this audit and look at soliciting bids later in the year for the FY22 audit.

“We’ve always used Graves, as far as I know, and I’ve never had an issue with them,” Krull said.

* Because Missouri is facing a shortage of EMTs, consideration has been given to using Advanced EMTs (AEMTs) to help rural areas maintain staff.

EMTs are considered introductory employees to the craft and are permitted to give only a few things such as aspirin, and Narcan to overdose patients with training.

AEMTs are allowed to do quite a bit more but not as much as paramedics.

Four OAD EMTs will begin online training in mid-January.

* EMT students trained at OAD are completing their clinicals and ride-alongs, with graduation to be held at the end of February.

* Krull said he appreciates being included in the Shop With a Hero program initiated by the Linn Police Department.

“This was a great way for us to be more directly involved with members of the community,” said Krull. “Chief (Michael) Bickell did a good job organizing everything.”

OAD crews also participated in Westphalia’s Christmas on Main Street parade, and in the Linn Lions Christmas parade as part of the Linn Christmas on Main Street event.

* Krull said OAD continues to assist the Osage County Health Department with homebound COVID and flu shots as requested.

In his report, Krull noted that in November, the district had income of $626,630.01, of which service fees totaled $151,486.02 and $444,473.72 in reimbursement from AMR’s contract with FEMA. Expenses were reported at $-61,393.34 as a result of the reimbursement for a net gain of $688,021.35. 

* The checking account balance as of Nov. 30 was $341,484.91, and the money market account balance on the same date was $783,440.06. 

* Krull reported a total of a record 249 calls in November, including 106 transfers, 138 emergencies, and five standbys.