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Emerytown outlines firefighter pay plan, inspects new truck and considers donated wildland engine
Summary
Council reviewed use of a $10,000 county payment to fund firefighter retention and training—covering per-call and per-training stipends, certification pay and a $200 sign-on bonus—discussed an upcoming inspection of a new engine and weighed accepting a donated BLM wildland truck if insurance costs are feasible.
Speaker 5 (Unidentified Speaker) told the Emerytown council the town received $10,000 from the county to support the volunteer fire department and proposed a distribution plan: $15 per call, $20 per training session, $50 for each certification a firefighter holds, $200 for red-card certification and a $200 sign-on bonus. He said the station collectively holds 58 certifications and estimated the total payout under the plan would be $8,970.
Speaker 5 said the $200 sign-on bonus would be applied equitably to existing personnel as well as new recruits who sign on (a $200 bonus after six months for later hires). He emphasized the sign-on amount is intentionally modest to keep the program affordable if payments are made once annually when the town receives the county check.
Councilmembers asked for clarification on administration and funding. Speaker 4 and Speaker 2 noted the proposed payouts are contingent on county funding; if the county does not provide the money in future years, the town would not be obligated to continue the payments. Councilmembers asked Speaker 5 to document the pay schedule and the town’s reporting to the county.
On equipment, Speaker 5 said he and another staff member (Kyle) will travel to Sarasota, Florida, Dec. 18–20 to perform a final inspection before delivery of a new fire truck and that the truck should be in the bay before spring. Separately, Speaker 5 described a BLM program donating Type 6 wildland engines and a tactical water tender; those vehicles would be town-owned if accepted and would require the town or the fire department to carry insurance, registration and licensing (a Class B CDL for the water tender).
Council members asked Speaker 5 to gather the donated trucks’ year and model and to obtain ballpark insurance and registration costs before deciding whether to pursue the donation. Speaker 4 recommended staff return with estimates to avoid unexpected operating costs.
Council direction: staff to document the retention/bonus schedule for county reporting, to provide truck inspection status after the Dec. 18–20 trip, and to gather insurance/registration cost estimates for any donated vehicle before the council decides to accept it.
