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Juneau firefighters urge assembly to fill vacancies and address pay after fatal house fire
Summary
A Juneau Career Firefighters union leader urged the assembly to prioritize filling four vacant firefighter positions, citing understaffing of a third ambulance and pay below regional averages shown in a compensation study.
Cheyenne Sanchez, vice president of IAF Local 4303 representing the Juneau Career Firefighters, told the assembly during public comment on Jan. 6, 2025 that the department currently has four vacant firefighter positions and that two of those vacancies have remained open despite repeated hiring efforts.
Sanchez said the department has "had an insufficient number of FTEs to keep [a third ambulance] staffed reliably," noting the city intended to staff a third ambulance in August 2018 but lacks the number of full-time equivalents to do so consistently. Sanchez said the union contracted a compensation survey through CUJ showing Juneau firefighter wages fall below the regional average and that the assembly should look at Appendix A of the study to see entry-level wages are in the lower quartile for the region.
Sanchez asked the assembly to consider "internal wage alignment within the city" and to address recruitment and retention before upcoming negotiations for a new working agreement. "We must fill our vacancies to increase staffing to provide the services our community expects and deserves," Sanchez said.
Assembly members asked no follow-up questions during the public-comment period; staff and councilors noted the concern and continued the agenda.
