One city paramedic punched in for nearly $300,000 in pay last year, logging massive overtime as Boston EMS kept running 24/7 through the pandemic.
EMS pay has become an issue with mayoral candidates as salaries at the police and fire departments come under scrutiny. But payroll records obtained by the Herald through a series of public records requests show some first responders answer the call — a lot.
"If the phone keeps ringing, they keep working," said Larry DiCara, a former city councilor and city watchdog. "With Mass and Cass, that might be a variable no one understands."
The Methadone Mile, a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, is home to drug addicts and those who prey on them. That trouble zone has also become a heated mayoral issue as candidates push their own plans.