A proposed merger of the Emergency Medical Services teams in Huron and Perth counties appears unlikely to go ahead.
A report scheduled to be presented to Perth County councillors this week claims a merger would increase costs to the country by nearly $800,000, assuming a “lean” staffing model.
In addition, the report found that a merger would increase the power of unionized workers and could potentially lead to a loss of control by Huron County over EMS work in its jurisdiction.
Potential benefits identified include better training of EMS management personnel and dedicated employees in the areas of human resources and information technology.
According to the report, cost increases would be seen in areas including transition costs, severance pay and funding calculations, while salaries and benefits for EMS workers would likely rise over time as well.
Perth County specifically would need to hire more corporate staff to oversee the merged EMS system and would bear a greater brunt of workplace injury claims, the report found.
The report does suggest several ways the two services could learn from each other, primarily involving staffing roles and fleet services.
