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Firefighters' union urges council to fund 22 additional firefighters and two inspectors after SAFER grant denied
Summary
The vice president of the local professional firefighters union told Salisbury council the department is understaffed and the city should fund new positions after a federal SAFER grant application was not awarded.
Spencer White, vice president of the Solid Red Professional Firefighters Union, urged Salisbury City Council on March 18 to fund additional firefighters and inspectors after the city did not receive a federal SAFER staffing grant.
White told the council that minimum staffing currently leaves 22 firefighters "breaking their backs" to meet demands that a staffing standard would place at 29. He said the department has exhausted its overtime budget and that chronic overtime harms employees and public safety.
"It is more costly to work overtime shifts than it would be to staff the fire department with 22 more firefighters," White said. "Our overtime budget is $400,000. We've blown it, as of January." He added, "The human cost is worse than the monetary cost. Those firefighters miss responsibilities at home, recovery, sleep, and then they have to turn around and come back to shift the next day."
White told council the union recommends hiring 22 additional firefighters and two full-time fire inspectors; he said the SAFER grant was not received and "this council needs to fund the positions itself." He framed pay and staffing as equity issues, noting recent raises for city administrators while firefighters' staffing needs remain unmet.
Council did not take a vote on staffing at the March 18 meeting; the union's remarks were submitted as public comment and recorded in the minutes. Staff or council members did not present a staffing proposal or budget amendment during the meeting.
Ending: The union asked the council to include firefighter staffing in budget and policy discussions going forward; no formal action was taken at the meeting.
