Kansas City EMTs Properly Paid For Overtime, Eighth Circuit Says

Kansas City, Mo., properly pays overtime under federal law to emergency medical technicians and paramedics, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit ruled Thursday in a lawsuit filed in the wake of a previously resolved wage and hour dispute.

Affirming a 2019 trial court decision, the Eighth Circuit declined to revive the case questioning whether the bargained-for wage structure for EMTs and paramedics violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The appeals court separately found that dual-function firefighters and paramedics, known as “fire medics,” are partially exempt from overtime provisions. On this issue, the panel declined to weigh in ...