Flight paramedics at Air Methods are very under paid. The company emphasizes that there is no difference between the role of a flight paramedic and that of a flight nurse, yet there is a large pay discrepancy between the two. In addition to nurse/paramedic pay discrepancy, most bases also pay less per hour than the local private ambulance services, which are typically the lowest paid in the EMS industry. Air Methods compares their wages to the flight paramedic industry, and not the EMS industry as a whole, which is where talent is recruited from. New recruits are often hired in at higher wages than existing employees, without raising the wages for existing employees to be commensurate with those onboarding. All of these factors makes it difficult to recruit quality new hires, as well as retain existing staff. These factors also decrease morale and make home finances difficult for flight paramedics. Flight paramedics have far more training, responsibility, and certifications than most ground paramedics, but aren't paid to offset the increase in responsibility, training, and liability. 

This petition is to encourage Air Methods to increase paramedic wages (for existing and onboarding employees) to be on par with their nurse peers of equal education and experience level. This pay increase would not only bring equality between nurses and paramedics, but also help to match competing industry wages for ground paramedics. Such an increase in pay would likely help with retention and recruitment concerns, which is of great benefit to the company by reducing costs associated with training and reduce liability through an increased average experience level from improved retention. Pay increases would also improve morale as well, which improves productivity. For these reasons, an increase in pay would benefit all parties involved.