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Commissioners approve firefighter certification pay and adjust vacation accruals for 48/96 shift schedule
Summary
Court added paramedic/advanced‑EMT certification pay to the county personnel policy (annual $5,000 paramedic; $2,500 advanced EMT, paid per pay period) and approved modified vacation accruals for full‑time 48/96 fire personnel consistent with local comparables; HR will implement changes in payroll and return a cleaned policy for consent approval of remaining sick‑leave and part‑time details.
The court approved two personnel‑policy updates affecting Guadalupe County Fire Rescue (GCFR). First, staff proposed adding DSHS paramedic and advanced EMT certification pay into the county's certification supplement; amounts budgeted this year are $5,000 for paramedic and $2,500 for advanced EMT, to be paid per pay period once HR verifies certification. County staff said one firefighter already meets the criteria and that retroactive payroll adjustments are limited by payroll system constraints to two pay cycles.
Second, staff proposed modified vacation accrual rates for full‑time 48/96 fire shifts to align with industry comparables (City of Schertz used as a model). The change increases accruals so firefighters working 48‑hour shifts have more usable leave without requiring a broader county‑wide overhaul. HR noted implementation requires new accrual codes and testing in the payroll system; sick‑leave accrual language and part‑time calculations will be finalized and returned to court for approval on consent.
Why it matters: The county said the changes aim to improve recruitment and retention and to match industry norms for public‑safety employees whose schedules create a higher need for usable leave. Commissioners emphasized fairness across departments and asked staff to be prepared for other departments’ requests if the court adopts different accrual schedules.
Court action and next steps: The court approved adding firefighters to the certification pay policy and approved the vacation accrual structure for full‑time fire employees, with HR implementing the changes and setting the effective payroll dates. Staff will finalize sick‑leave setup, part‑time calculations (recommended at 1/4 or 1/2 of full‑time depending on hours) and present a clean policy for consent approval in a future session.
