Wisconsin Rural Areas Dealing With Shortage Of EMS Providers

A  shortage of Emergency Medical Technicians is putting a strain on the system, especially in northern Wisconsin.  Low pay is a problem — and, in many cases, E-M-S providers are actually working for no pay.  About 37-percent of the state’s 17-thousand E-M-S workers are volunteers.  Another factor making it difficult to recruit first responders is the usual 24-hour shift.  Although people holding the jobs talk about how rewarding they are, the number of potential new workers is dropping.