Horry County Firefighters received an email this week informing them that they will be required to have a mandatory overtime schedule.
Currently Horry County Firefighters are required to work at least one overtime shift a month but due to a shortage, the new mandatory schedule will require paramedics to work a 48 hour shift every three to four shifts.
An Horry County Firefighter for 10 years, Rob Mullaney is the president for the local chapter of the Association of International Firefighters. He said there has been a Facebook discussion of how to involve Horry County Council members to help figure out a solution.
“We’re trying to point out the facts here that something needs to change, if they don’t change then something is going to happen, something drastic is going to happen, someone is going to get hurt.” Mullaney said.
A little over a year ago, HCFR workers had to go on mandatory overtime schedule for a period of time to make up for the shortage in staff, but in Spring of 2016 they went back to a normal schedule.
“In 2017 we responded to 61,000 calls and 85% of them were medical related,” Mullaney said. ” The paramedics are being hit the hardest, this is affecting them the most and they are the most critically needed personnel, they are in charge of patient care.”
Mullaney said right now they are short at least 10 medics. News 13 reached out to HCFR spokesperson Mark Nugent, but he wasn’t able to give a comment or an on camera interview.