The Baltimore City spending board approved a new program Wednesday aimed at solving the city's emergency medical services shortage.
Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said the city is down 80 EMS providers, and that number has increased. In June, firefighters union Local 734 president Matthew Coster said there were 74 vacancies. "We don't have the resources for the call volume," Coster said.
Wallace said he hopes a new $7,500 retention and recruitment bonus will help fix the problem.
"The market, if you will, for emergency medical services providers has become very competitive, both regionally and nationally. We're also very aware of the fact that the pool of candidates has shrunk significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic," Wallace said.