City loses another ambulance crew member

The Port Washington ambulance service is once again shorthanded, the Police and Fire Commission has learned.

Fire Chief Mark Mitchell told the commission on July 12 that one of the department’s two full-time firefighter-paramedics, Jacob Evaska, recently resigned.

Evaska, who started in Port in May, recently accepted a similar position in Oak Creek that paid $61,000 annually compared to Port’s $50,000 salary, he said. In addition, Mitchell said, Oak Creek is closer to Evaska’s home.

“He just couldn’t pass it up,” Mitchell said.

While Mitchell is disappointed in the resignation, he said it isn’t unexpected.

“Until we can get our salary structure to where it’s competitive, this is going to happen,” he said.

Commission members lamented the resignation as well.

“We’re seeing what happens if we’re not competitive,” Chairman Rick Nelson said.

Commission member Jim Biever commended Mitchell for “what you’re doing, piecing it together” to ensure coverage by the ambulance. “I think we’re going to see this as a recurring issue,” Biever said. 

Commission members asked Ald. Dan Benning, a member of the Finance and License Committee, if there is a way the city can increase the salary for the position to make it more competitive, something Benning said will be difficult with levy caps limiting how much the city can spend and inflation rising.

Nelson suggested the city use some of the Covid relief funds it receives to help increase the salary. “Then we will know if it’s salary or working conditions (making it difficult to hire full-time staff members),” he said.

But Benning cautioned that it isn’t always wise to use these funds, which only last a limited time, to finance a long-term expense.

Mitchell said he will advertise for a new employee next month, adding that he may have a potential candidate in the department.

The city has been struggling to staff its ambulance service and has had to depend on neighboring communities to cover calls at times since last fall. Mitchell has been calling for the city to hire three full-time paramedic-firefighters, which he said are needed to staff the ambulance around the clock.

The city had authorized hiring one full-time paramedic-firefighter but had difficulty filling the position, and this spring approved a change in its ambulance billing that made it possible to add the second full-time position.