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Memo for fiscal year 2018, updated 2017-04-14

[Archived] Question #60: What does it cost to convert a medic to dual-role?

Question:

What does it cost to convert a medic to dual-role?

Response:

A newly hired firefighter who intends to pursue dual-role status typically comes to the department with their National Registry Paramedic certification.  If not, the cost of certifying the individual is an additional $8,000 for tuition, books, and lab supplies (not including the overtime of detailing them). The cost to train a new hire firefighter with their paramedic certification is largely the same as other new recruits of approximately $118,000 per recruit. This estimate is based on the most recent recruit school costs detailed in the table below: 

Description Cost
Salary & Fringes of personnel pulled from the field to teach recruit school (8 personnel) for 7 months ~$491,000
Overtime for other staff who provide instruction and drills ~$215,000
Consumable supplies, instruction materials, gear ~$80,0000
Salaries and benefits of recruits ~$83,000 per recruit x 22 recruits in school = $1.8M
Total $2.6M
Divide total by 22 recruits $118k per recruit

 
After graduation, a recruit is required to pass 6-10 months of internship and testing.  The cost of the internship is largely the recruit’s salary and benefits during this time as the providers on the medic unit would already be working regardless.  Once the internship is completed, the employee is considered a “fully qualified” dual-role provider and now counts toward minimum staffing.  

The cost of advancing a single role medic to a dual-role firefighter/ALS provider is approximately $12,300 per responder.  The costs are detailed in the table below:              

Description Cost
Salary & Fringes of single role medics (including backfill) from the field to attend fire school ~$68,000
Overtime for other staff to assist with instruction/drills ~$19,700
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ~$11,400
Total $99,000
Divide total by 8 single role medics $12,300 to convert a single role medic to a dual role provider

 
Some of the costs listed for both conversion and new hires are sunk costs that cannot/would not be recovered or divided out differently if a dual-role provider leaves the Department.


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