Several Charlotte paramedics turned to Channel 9 with what they call their own emergency.
They claim that a new policy pushes them to work so fast that they're worried that patient care could be at risk.
"There is no 911 for us," said one paramedic.
The employees asked Channel 9 to disguise their faces and voices because they're afraid they'll be fired, but they wanted to speak out.
Last summer, MEDIC added a point system for total time on task to employee evaluations, which is a calculation of the time it takes to arrive, treat and transport a patient, and then be ready for the next 911 call.
Some paramedics said they're feeling extremely pressured and are constantly aware of the clock.
"It's always in the back of your mind, running," one MEDIC employee said.
MEDIC Deputy Director Jeff Keith told Eyewitness News that total time on task is crucial to determine staffing, manage the agency's budget and provide faster care.
MEDIC set a 70-minute total time on task goal, but if employees perform faster, Keith said they earn more points on their evaluations.
"If you're really exceptional, and you're doing 60 minutes or less, that is truly exceptional. That's worth five points," Keith said.
Those points can impact pay raise eligibility. Paramedics said they worry that patients will not be the priority and the policy could lead to cutting corners.
"(It could mean) cutting corners in care, cutting corners in charting, speeding to get to calls, speeding from the scene to the hospital when it's not necessary," a paramedic said.
"You kind of have to practice fast-food medicine to turn a call and get back out on the street," another said.
Not all EMS agencies score staff on total time on task.
Wake County is comparable to Mecklenburg in population size, but Chief of Community Outreach Jeffrey Hammerstein said its evaluations don't include total time on task because so much is out of paramedics' control.
"You may be a block away from a call or you may be 3-4 miles in heavy, heavy traffic in a driving rainstorm," Hammerstein said. "When they arrive at that call, their entire focus for right then, is that patient and meeting what their needs are."
Despite staff concerns, MEDIC said first responders exceed expectations and now average calls in 65 minutes.
"If patient care is not being impacted, I'm not at the place right now where I feel this is something that needs to be unplugged," Keith said.
The agency has no plans to change the time on task policy.
In the last quarter, 70 percent of MEDIC patients ranked their satisfaction as excellent, but only 20 percent of MEDIC employees felt the same way.
That's a statistic that Keith said the agency will address with more outreach and better communication.
They claim that a new policy pushes them to work so fast that they're worried that patient care could be at risk.
"There is no 911 for us," said one paramedic.
The employees asked Channel 9 to disguise their faces and voices because they're afraid they'll be fired, but they wanted to speak out.
Last summer, MEDIC added a point system for total time on task to employee evaluations, which is a calculation of the time it takes to arrive, treat and transport a patient, and then be ready for the next 911 call.
Some paramedics said they're feeling extremely pressured and are constantly aware of the clock.
"It's always in the back of your mind, running," one MEDIC employee said.
MEDIC Deputy Director Jeff Keith told Eyewitness News that total time on task is crucial to determine staffing, manage the agency's budget and provide faster care.
MEDIC set a 70-minute total time on task goal, but if employees perform faster, Keith said they earn more points on their evaluations.
"If you're really exceptional, and you're doing 60 minutes or less, that is truly exceptional. That's worth five points," Keith said.
Those points can impact pay raise eligibility. Paramedics said they worry that patients will not be the priority and the policy could lead to cutting corners.
"(It could mean) cutting corners in care, cutting corners in charting, speeding to get to calls, speeding from the scene to the hospital when it's not necessary," a paramedic said.
"You kind of have to practice fast-food medicine to turn a call and get back out on the street," another said.
Not all EMS agencies score staff on total time on task.
Wake County is comparable to Mecklenburg in population size, but Chief of Community Outreach Jeffrey Hammerstein said its evaluations don't include total time on task because so much is out of paramedics' control.
"You may be a block away from a call or you may be 3-4 miles in heavy, heavy traffic in a driving rainstorm," Hammerstein said. "When they arrive at that call, their entire focus for right then, is that patient and meeting what their needs are."
Despite staff concerns, MEDIC said first responders exceed expectations and now average calls in 65 minutes.
"If patient care is not being impacted, I'm not at the place right now where I feel this is something that needs to be unplugged," Keith said.
The agency has no plans to change the time on task policy.
In the last quarter, 70 percent of MEDIC patients ranked their satisfaction as excellent, but only 20 percent of MEDIC employees felt the same way.
That's a statistic that Keith said the agency will address with more outreach and better communication.
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