STANWOOD — Anna Melillo feels unsupported at work.
The paramedic at North County Regional Fire Authority said her division lacks structure and training. No one is there to correct her if she makes a mistake in the field.
That’s because the Emergency Medical Services division lacks leadership, she said.
Melillo is one of many first responders at North County Fire who say the division is flailing. Officials say they’re working on it.
“I want to be the best medic that there is to show up at your door when you’re sick and you need help,” she said at a commissioners meeting last month. “There’s only one way that I can do that, and that’s to work in an environment where there’s oversight.”
North County Fire has six stations and serves about 45,000 people across 120 square miles, including in Arlington and Stanwood. Last year, the agency’s emergency medical services technicians and paramedics treated over 10,000 patients, about 86% of the agency’s total 911 responses. Overall, the medical division accounts for more than one-third of the department’s revenue, including grants, taxes and transports.
About six months ago, the fire agency’s EMS assistant chief retired after nearly 30 years. Soon after, Fire Chief John Cermak held interviews and even made a job offer, but the ideal candidate declined, he said.
The position has remained unfilled.
Melillo noted since the role has been vacant, the division’s overall performance has declined.
“It’s not because we aren’t trying to do our best,” she said.
At the meeting on Sept. 25, North County Fire’s Medical Director Joshua Corsa pleaded with commissioners.
“I beg you, please fill the EMS chief position immediately,” he said with a group of EMTs and paramedics standing behind him. “Give our providers the support they need, and the citizens the care they deserve.”
Corsa has worked for North County Fire since March 2023. He said he’s noticed leadership problems since he began, including a lack of proper onboarding, training schedule and quality improvement programs. He said many employees go “above and beyond” to keep the division afloat.
Chris Peterson, a firefighter and EMT, said morale at the agency is the lowest he’s seen.
“I would encourage all of you to come out to the stations and ride with your firefighters,” he said at the meeting. “Many people are too afraid to come up here and tell like it is.”
In May, employees drafted a quality improvement plan, Corsa said, but no one has been there to implement it. Since the assistant chief’s departure, Operations Deputy Fire Chief Dave Kraski has managed the EMS division. A partnership with Snohomish County Emergency Medical Services has also helped, Cermak said in an email.
Cermak said the agency is restructuring. That includes a new director position that requires less experience than assistant chief. After a year or so, someone in that role could be trained up to become assistant chief. Meanwhile, Cermak said, the agency continues to “monitor the effectiveness” of the EMS division, including paramedic training and performance standards.
But for Corsa, this is not enough, considering the fire agency’s size and residents’ needs. He wants the EMS division to hire an assistant chief and a captain focused on training and performance. That would allow Corsa and medical services officers to stick to the demands of their specific jobs, he said.
Despite a high number of medical calls compared to fire calls, Corsa said at the meeting, North County Fire spends more of its budget on fire services. And it’s not that the agency is strapped for cash — last year, it had a revenue surplus of $1.34 million, according to its 2023 financial report.
“There is no department this size in our region with a similarly understaffed EMS division,” Corsa said. “The problem will only begin to be solved when the department decides that emergency medical care is as important as fire suppression.”
Melillo also criticized department leadership for offering an assistant chief salary that was lower than salaries for similar roles nearby in places like Marysville and Tulalip.
“Why are we striving for the bare minimum?” she asked. “This is an extremely important role, and you’re looking for the cheapest bidder.”
North County Fire is working to hire a temporary battalion chief position to help, Cermak said. The agency adjusted the assistant chief salary to make it more competitive, he said, and plans to re-advertise the position in a month or two.
Peterson said he’s watched several of his colleagues leave North County Fire. Corsa said the agency is at risk of losing more.
“They have stayed because they believe in this department,” he said. “But they will not stay forever.”
Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; X: @_sydneyajackson.
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