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Wausau HR committee approves reclassifying fire marshal to division chief of inspections
Summary
Committee approved changing the fire marshal title to division chief of inspections/community risk reduction and adjusted pay grading to address pay compression; discussion focused on union compression and supervisory structure.
The Wausau Human Resources Committee voted Jan. 13 to reclassify the city’s fire marshal position as Division Chief of Inspections, Community Risk Reduction, and to adjust the position’s grade as presented in the packet.
Fire Department leadership told the committee the change is intended to address pay compression between supervisory and union positions. The packet and discussion referenced a council directive to maintain a roughly 5% spread between command-level pay and union wages; department leaders said a member offered a promoted management position but declined because the pay differential made it unattractive.
The fire chief (speaking to the committee) explained the title change keeps the same supervisory duties — oversight of a lieutenant and two inspectors — while moving to a managerial pay scale and aligning the department’s structure with a modern community-risk-reduction approach. The chief described the position as a Monday-through-Friday division chief role, distinct from battalion chiefs who work 24-hour shifts.
Committee members asked about the number of divisions and whether community-care paramedic staff might be included under the new division in the future; the chief said the department is piloting a three-year community-care paramedic program that could be managed under this division going forward.
Motion by Martins, second by Tierney. The reclassification passed unanimously.
