CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – Overtime spending in both Charleston County EMS and the Al Cannon Detention Center surged nearly $4 million beyond 2024 budget limits, leaving public safety employees potentially overworked and understaffed.
Documents show paramedics earning more in overtime than their base salary and detention officers working up to 16-hour shifts amid critical staffing shortages.
Each of the public service departments was granted $2 million for overtime expenses by the county last year. But at the end of 2024, Charleston EMS spent over $3.4 million on overtime and the Al Cannon Detention Center spent over $4.5 million…