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Council signs three‑year SKEMS contract, approves equipment purchases to boost response capacity
Summary
Council authorized a three‑year collective bargaining agreement with IAFF Local 3365 for SKEMS employees to address recruitment and Fair Labor Standards Act compliance and approved several EMS equipment purchases (ambulance radios, thermal drone, LUCAS CPR device, stair chair, cardiac monitor) to support expanding ambulance capacity.
The council authorized the town manager to sign a three‑year collective bargaining agreement with IAFF Local 3365 covering South Kingstown EMS (effective July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027) at the Oct. 28 meeting. Deputy Town Manager Luke Murray and negotiators briefed the council on negotiations, describing a multi‑month process informed by salary comparison surveys and FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) compliance work.
Murray said a portion of the first‑year cost (about 12.94% of the increase) reflects correcting overtime calculations to align with state law changes and FLSA guidance; when adjusted for redistributed stipends and baseline changes the net negotiated step increase beyond compliance was described as roughly 2% across the workforce in the contract years that follow. The town’s estimated three‑year fiscal impact was presented at roughly $492,000, with the largest immediate pressure in year one to achieve compliance if no increases had been made.
Councilors discussed recruitment and retention measures incorporated into the contract—revised longevity/retention pay and a bridge program to help EMT/EMTC staff become paramedics—and legal/administrative clarifications (discipline, injured‑on‑duty provisions). The motion to approve the agreement carried by majority voice vote.
Separately, the council approved several public‑safety equipment purchases tied to adding three new ambulances: a thermal/imaging drone to support field search and incident command, radio systems for new vehicles, a LUCAS automated CPR machine, a tracked stair chair to reduce lift injuries, and a cardiac monitor/defibrillator. Presenters said equipment timing was motivated by vendor lead times and price increases projected for 2025; council members approved the purchases by voice votes.
What this means: The contract addresses recruitment and overtime compliance obligations and is intended to reduce turnover; equipment purchases prepare the department for additional ambulances and to improve on‑scene capability and responder safety.
