Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bradford County fire chief proposes hiring three relief firefighters to trim overtime; board gives go‑ahead
Summary
After analyzing 2024 hours and overtime, Bradford County Fire Rescue Chief presented a plan to hire three full‑time relief personnel. The chief said the change would reduce overtime and produce an estimated minimum annual savings of about $81,900; commissioners gave consensus to proceed.
Bradford County Fire Rescue Chief presented a staffing analysis to commissioners and requested authority to hire three full‑time relief positions to reduce overtime and improve coverage.
Chief Ben Carter told the board he and finance staff reviewed every full‑time employee’s 2024 hours — regular, personal leave, overtime and ‘‘extended work‑week compensation’’ — and calculated the county’s actual overtime and related payroll costs. The chief said the county paid roughly $345,691 last year in overtime plus the employer share of benefits for overtime and partial personal‑leave coverage.
Carter said hiring three relief employees at an entry pay rate (roughly $15.30 per hour, with total loaded cost about $87,880 per position) would cost about $263,818 annually but would reduce the overtime and benefit payouts that the department paid in 2024. Using the department’s figures, Carter said the minimum projected savings from the change would be about $81,872 in the first full year, and he told commissioners the estimate was conservative because some leave is unlikely to be fully replaced by the new hires.
Commissioners asked how the new hires would be scheduled and how they would reduce overtime. Carter explained the relief positions would serve as a third rider or relief resource on existing stations; if a scheduled employee calls out, the relief staff member would cover that shift and be paid straight time rather than paying another employee time‑and‑a‑half. Board members also asked about part‑time hiring and noted recruiting difficulties for paramedics; Carter said the department currently has part‑time staff but paramedic‑level part‑time hires are difficult to recruit and retain.
After discussion about budget and staffing tradeoffs, commissioners gave the chief a consensus to proceed with the hires and to present the positions for inclusion in the FY‑2025/26 budget process and any necessary budget amendments. The chair and county manager asked staff to work with finance to ensure hires and projected savings are tracked and to return with details when the budget is brought forward.
