NorthStar facing more calls with fewer workers amid COVID-19

As COVID-19 numbers rise once again, some lines of work are bearing the brunt of the weight when more people are out sick and need emergency care. For health care workers, that’s been evident in hospitals and doctor’s clinics, but ambulance services are also facing major worker shortages amid larger workloads.

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics who work for NorthStar EMS, Tuscaloosa County’s sole ambulance service, are being worn thin in the wake of the continued pandemic, said NorthStar Operations Director Edgar Calloway.

“We are running about the same number of hours that we did two years ago, which says that the current staff we have are having to pick up an additional 30% of those hours,” Calloway said. “And we are doing that with incentive shift pay and overtime. The staff that is left has to maintain the call volume that we get.”

Not to mention, he said, that around 15% of NorthStar’s staff is out sick at any given time with COVID-19 or quarantine from exposure.

NorthStar is looking for employees, Calloway said, and benefits include health insurance, paid time off and sick leave, a 401K and tuition assistance for paramedic training. You can learn more and apply here, or call 205-345-0911.

Salary ranges for open positions were not disclosed.