MANATEE COUNTY, Fla — Manatee County is facing a shortage of Emergency Medical Service workers, like paramedics.
Officials fear it could only get worse as more people are moving to the area and the need for more of those first responders grows.
“We're growing, right? Manatee County, much like all of Florida, it's growing. With that growth comes a lot of people, so our call volume starts to grow," Manatee County EMS Assistant Chief Sean Dwyer said.
Dwyer wanted to stress that in their line of work, time is a matter of life or death. It is crucial they have enough people to respond to more calls and do so quickly.
“Seconds matter. I think throughout the history of EMS, time is the enemy," he said.
Dwyer added this shortage all points back to the pandemic when EMS workers were on the very front lines. Many faced burnout and left their jobs.
“The job is important; the burnout rate is higher for paramedics. So anything we can do to lessen the workload and keep the dispersal of work at a tolerable level, we're going to do that,” he said.
Dwyer explained they are adding more ambulances and working to hire 20 more EMS workers.
There is also a new site opening Monday that will make care more accessible to people in parts of Manatee County. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is opening a new sexual assault services location in Ruskin.
Clara Reynolds with the Crisis Center explained this will serve people in parts of Manatee County as well as Hillsborough.
“If you’re living in the northernmost portion, Parrish, for example, this is a much closer option and quite frankly a beautiful alternative,” Reynolds said.
She said this center can be an alternative to an emergency room. She thinks this rape crisis center will have a big impact on people in the northern part of Manatee County.
“We're excited to expand our service and our mission across this county line,” Reynolds said.
The new crisis center open Monday, May 1, at 7:00 a.m.
If you are interested in this line of work, click here to learn how to get certified.
You can click here to apply for the positions in Manatee County.
