Not your typical job

Thursday, April 23, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

Few job tasks are more mundane — or universally despised — than filling out paperwork.

One normally doesn’t even get an “attaboy” for doing paperwork because it is expected as part of the job. That is, unless you happen to be lucky enough to work as a paramedic or emergency medical technician for Las Vegas.

As reported Wednesday by Joe Schoenmann in the Las Vegas Sun, those employees get bonuses for filling out paperwork properly. These bonuses aren’t simply gold stars or coffee mugs. They’re cold, hard cash, more than $600,000 worth last year alone. The paperwork for transporting someone to the hospital is worth $20 for an EMT and $30 for a paramedic.

These outrageous bonuses, disguised under the equally ridiculous moniker “quality assurance documentation pay,” totaled $2.6 million from 2002 through 2008. The city’s justification is that properly completed paperwork helps improve its collection of money from individuals and insurers to cover the transport costs.

But those bonuses aren’t paid by Clark County or any other jurisdiction contacted by the Sun. There’s a good reason for that. Paperwork is part of the job.

Frank Salomon, deputy chief of public affairs for the Phoenix Fire Department, was rightly befuddled, saying: “So these guys are on duty and they respond to the call, and they transport, and they get an extra $20 to $30 to fill out the paperwork? Really? I want a job there!”

Mr. Salomon can get in line behind the rest of us.

When the new contract is hammered out in June between the city and Firefighters Local 1285, which represents the emergency medical personnel, the bonuses should be eliminated and paperwork should be considered part of the job, as it is elsewhere.

The city should then develop better ways to cover the costs of its services and collect money from those who use emergency transportation.