Buckfield manager proposes pay scale changes for firefighters and EMTs, flags equipment replacement needs

The Town Manager presented a multi-part proposal for fire and rescue compensation and capital needs aimed at stabilizing staffing and improving response capacity. The proposal would eliminate existing stipends for officer roles and instead pay wages tied to certification and rank (for example higher pay for chief and captains and pay bands for Firefighter I/II). The manager said the proposal is informed by the 2023 MMA salary survey and local call-hour estimates.

Nut graf: The compensation changes are intended to improve recruitment and reward training, not to create full-time firefighter positions. The manager showed that the town currently pays near-minimum wages for many responders, and that EMT/paramedic hourly pay lags the midrange in regional surveys; the draft raises pay closer to regional medians to retain and recruit providers.

Manager said turnout gear, SCBAs and vehicle replacement are pressing capital needs: new turnout gear sets cost roughly $4,700 per full set and helmets about $500; West Paris quoted $44,999 apiece for two air packs the department needs. The manager listed engine and tank replacement costs (replacement cost estimates: engine ~$700,000; tank ~$450,000–500,000) and said remounting and refurbishment costs for ambulances are rising and supply lead times are long. The draft includes a modest capital appropriation to acquire two additional SCBA packs next year rather than delay.

Ending: The manager said Hartford contract revenues and mutual-aid agreements offset some costs, and that these items will continue to be refined with the fire chief and rescue leadership; no final decisions were made at the workshop.