GILES COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- After the Giles County EMS chief asked for more money in this year's fiscal budget, she was not only denied, but she claimed it started an avalanche of negativity towards her department and EMS personnel both online and in person.

According to Giles County EMS Chief Willow Chavez, she presented a budget that was approximately $700,000 higher than the previous year. She said it was for equipment maintenance and increased salaries to stay competitive with surrounding counties.

"It's gotten to the point where they're feeling that, they're feeling that animosity and they're feeling that hostility, and my overarching concern is that it's going to lead to somebody getting hurt," Chavez said.

After her budget was denied, Chavez said a negative social media campaign erupted, promoted by some county commissioners. She called the social media campaign an effort to smear emergency services, implied there was a pattern of unethical behavior and fraud, and said some of the "propaganda" was aimed at various department heads in the county.

"It's incredibly disheartening, and I never, ever anticipated this level of public outrage being directed at people that have given their entire life to serve their community," she said.

According to Chavez, the online anger has boiled over and is now showing up against her staff while they're on the job and assisting the public.

For example, while EMS workers were rendering aid to someone during a medical call, that person reportedly started cussing them out. In another case, Chavez said an individual flipped off an ambulance rushing to an emergency.

Giles County EMS driver Randy Nesmith shared his own experience with disrespect. He said he walked into a Walmart wearing his EMS uniform, even though he was off duty, and was confronted by patrons who directed vulgar language at him.

"He said, 'It's one of those effing EMS employees.' I feel like it's a lot of negativity going on in the community," Nesmith said. "We're just trying to make a living and doing what we love by helping people."

County Executive Graham Stowe told News 2 he hasn't personally witnessed any negativity directed at Giles County EMS workers.

"The county's proposed budget – including a 16% tax increase – has created a great deal of public vitriol, particularly against county employees who are receiving pay raises. The targeted pay raises specific to EMS – paramedics and EMTs – are based on the competitive nature of their skills," Stowe added. "All counties – not merely Giles – are working to recruit and retain these folks. However, the proposed tax increase doesn't solely revolve around pay raises – there are a myriad of other financial pressures that are triggering the increase, chief among them is that Giles County hasn't had a tax increase since 2017, and overall inflation of insurance, materials, and capital equipment have shot up much faster than county revenues."

As for the money Chavez requested from the county commission, Stowe said, "She wasn't asking for anything excessive … she was annualizing the costs of recapitalizing ambulances, etc., and helping the commission understand that these are recurring costs to sustaining EMS operations. In other words, she was planning for the future, as all good leaders must do."

"The ones that are spreading this propaganda, they're putting people in danger, and because of the things that are being shared on social media, our folks are being targeted. EMS is almost always the topic of conversation when it comes to the budget. All we're doing is trying to ask for what we need," Chavez said.

News 2 spent the last two days reaching out to 20 Giles County commissioners for their reaction to this situation. As of publication, only 5th District Commissioner Brad Butler has responded, saying, in part:

It has been a very contested budget season here and some people are not happy with the proposed budget increase. While we are increasing the EMS budget it, unfortunately, has been a bit misrepresented by some. We have in the new budget pay raises for some of the staff to get ourselves competitive with our surrounding counties in order to retain employees. For years we have struggled against the larger counties higher salaries. The increase does not put us above any of them but at least gets us in the ballpark.

As for the equipment increase, traditionally we have bought equipment and paid for other capital expenses out of our general fund instead of having them in the EMS budget. That practice has become unsustainable due to higher costs for those items. This year we are trying to get those items budgeted for in the actual EMS budget resulting in an increase.

As for any hostilities towards our EMS employees, I have not personally witnessed any occurrences but I have read many negative comments on social media. There has been a small but vocal group on social media arguing against any kind of tax increase in general plus a few that have seemed to really target EMS. From the reports I have heard from various employees, unfortunately, that sentiment has started to flow over outside the digital confines of the internet.

Giles County Sheriff Joe Purvis told News 2 there have been no reports of violence against EMS workers so far.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/proposed-budget-change-sparks-outrage-against-giles-county-ems-workers/