By BARBARA GREEN
A trio of requests spanning billing and staffing for the Bowie Emergency Medical Service were approved Tuesday night by the Bowie City Council.
With a hiring freeze in place since early March, Fire Chief Doug Page asked to fill two vacant, budgeted positions and to utilize part-time staff to aid in reducing some overtime expenses.
When the freeze was implemented, the EMS was in the midst of interviewing candidates for on vacancy. Previously the council rejected the request to fill the vacancy.
Page explained at this time they have 10 full-time people working three shifts with four/three/three on the schedule. The chief is filling a half-shift on C shift. It takes two people to man the ambulance.
The department posts 608 total overtime hours during the 28 days that end on May 15. Page said 444 of those were used to cover just two shifts. There was $12,483.48 spent in OT for that cycle and when the crew is full they spend on average $5,986.94. On average there is about 12 hours of overtime over three months.

Read the full story on the council meeting in the weekend News.