Salisbury firefighters union urges council to add staff, improve pay and health protections

The president of the Salisbury Professional Firefighters Association told the City Council on May 6 that firefighters need immediate policy and budget changes to address understaffing, overtime and occupational health risks.

Ethan Cherco, speaking as president of the union, said the department is at risk of not having enough firefighters and that the city is on track to double its overtime budget this year because staffing vacancies are covered with overtime. ‘‘We need more firefighters. We need better compensation, and we are on the verge of not having enough fire trucks to run calls,’’ he said.

Cherco described recent local heroism and national risks to highlight stakes: he recalled a September rescue of a police officer and noted a recent fatal stabbing of a paramedic in Missouri. He also raised cancer risk for fire personnel and said a local captain underwent screenings after union advocacy; Cherco noted two recent resignations by senior firefighters who "lost hope in the city providing them a good future." He asked council to include policies in the upcoming budget to improve staffing, pay and occupational-health protections, including continued or expanded cancer screening.

Council did not take immediate action during the public-comment period. Cherco asked the council to make those changes in the FY 2025–26 budget; the council announced a separate meeting to receive the proposed FY 2025–26 budget on May 13.