Evaluating the Current EMS Workforce in South Carolina

Introduction: Evaluating the current EMS workforce is important for planning routine field operations and preparing for disasters.

Objective: Describe the current EMS workforce in South Carolina with respect to patient contacts, number of agency rosters on which they appear, roles, and years of experience.

Methods: This cross-sectional evaluation included all certified South Carolina EMS professionals in 2019. Data were extracted from the South Carolina EMS data system and included number of patient contacts (patient care reports listing the individual as a patient care provider in the last 12 months), number of agency rosters, total years of experience (time from initial EMS certification to current certification expiration date), and roles (field provider, management/operations, leadership/administration, and educator). Roles were categorized in collaboration with the state EMS office to accurately reflect duties based on current jobs recorded in the South Carolina EMS data system. Roles were not mutually exclusive. Descriptive statistics were calculated. 

Results: There were 11,197 South Carolina EMS-certified individuals in 2019. Of those, 3,138 (27.9%) were not listed on any agency rosters. There were 8,069 (72.1%) who appeared on at least 1 agency roster. Number of rosters ranged from 1 to 20 with a median of 1 (interquartile range [IQR] 1–2). There were 1,757 (21.8%) individuals who appeared on a roster but had no patient contact within the last 12 months. There were 7,823 field providers. Experience ranged from less than 1 to 47.1 years with a median of 5.2 (IQR 2.4–11.3). There were 545 in management/operations. Experience ranged from less than 1 to 47 years with a median of 14.1 (IQR 6.3–24.6). There were 360 in leadership/administration. Experience ranged from less than 1 to 47 with a median of 17.0 (IQR 7.3–26.5). There were 29 educators. Experience ranged from 3.7 to 46.8 years with a median of 16.0 (IQR 8.9–27.2). 

Conclusion: Over one-quarter of EMS-certified individuals in South Carolina did not appear on an agency roster. Over one fifth of those on at least one roster have not had any patient contact in the last 12 months. Field providers had fewer years of experience compared to those in leadership, management, or educator roles.