TONOPAH -- A volunteer is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: "A person who voluntarily undertakes a service or duty."

While emergency medical technicians and first responders volunteer their time to answer calls in remote Nye County communities, county officials agreed they should receive a little more than just a $20 stipend as an incentive.

The Beatty area in particular recently has experienced a critical shortage of volunteer EMTs.

Commissioners Tuesday agreed to bump the stipend up from $20 for calls within 30 miles, to a staggered scale of $20 for first responders, $30 for basic EMTs and $40 for intermediate EMTs. For calls over 30 miles, they now receive a $30 stipend, which will be increased to $40 for basic EMTs and $50 for intermediate EMTS.

"As long as I've been here they've gotten $20 for runs up to 30 miles," Nye County Emergency Services Director Brent Jones told commissioners. "That won't even pay for their gas to get to and from the station."

The graduated scale on the stipends give an incentive for basic EMTs to increase their training another 64 hours plus 10 hours of clinical training, to be intermediate EMTs, he said.

Jones said volunteers should receive more compensation for their extensive training as well. A basic EMT undergoes 140 hours of training.

"It's very hard for a volunteer to keep current with all their certifications to respond and get on their schedule that is demanded by Nevada Revised Statutes," he said.

The estimated cost of the stipends will amount to $102,600.

An ambulance coordinator would be paid $50 per month for up to 100 calls per year, $75 per month for from 100 to 200 calls annually and $100 per month if the call volume rises to over 200 calls per year. An assistant coordinator would receive three-quarters of the stipend, the clerk would receive half.

The county expects the cost of the coordinator, assistant coordinator and clerk at $11,500.

Nye County ambulance services racked up 947 calls last year, including 376 by the Tonopah Volunteer Ambulance Service, 236 by the Beatty Volunteer Ambulance Service, 105 by the Smoky Valley ambulance service and 25 calls in Gabbs.

In addition, volunteers will receive a $10 bonus for ambulance calls over five hours, not including working standby for sporting or special events. Jones said some of the calls from places like Beatty can take four or five hours. Volunteers then have to clean the rig and get it ready for the next run.

"I was very upset to learn that on some of these ambulance calls from Beatty that might last as long as six, seven or eight hours, we don't even pay for these folks to get a hamburger when they're out of town," Commissioner Joni Eastley said.

Jones said the lack of volunteers created a crisis in Beatty. One of the town ambulances has had to be forfeited, as state law requires an ambulance to be staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

"As we all drive down this lonely highway, we want to make sure we have people coming to render aid when bad things happen," Jones said.

Beatty Ambulance Service Coordinator Hal Waltz said his crews used to wait a long time in emergency rooms before a new state law took effect requiring a patient be attended to within 30 minutes. Ambulance calls now average three-and-a-half to four hours, he said.

Beatty ambulance runs are now often to the Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, or if an accident is closer to Tonopah, to Nye Regional Medical Center, he said.

Waltz was hopeful the increased stipends will increase his manpower. He has eight people on the schedule for October three of which don't even live in Beatty. Four more people are taking an EMT basic class and should graduate in December, Waltz said.

"I'm hopeful a few people that have been in town here that have been unwilling to step up and put their name on the schedule will do so," Waltz said. "I'm having to scramble every month to meet the schedule."

Jones was optimistic the county could collect more fees through the ambulance billing. The county already has $57,550 in the budget for the stipend program, he said.

An emotional Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver recalled how much she relied on the Smoky Valley ambulance service for her late husband, former commissioner Dick Carver.