Wayne Township fire chief tells Waynesville council response times improved; trustee details $77,000 FLSA back pay

Jason Beckett, chief of the Wayne Township Fire Department, told the Waynesville Village Council on Sept. 15 that response times and turnout have improved since the department hired two full-time employees, and he defended recent operational changes brought on by federal labor rules.

Beckett described several changes during public comment and detailed an equipment exchange: Engine 93 was donated to the Warren County Career Center in return for training access the fire department can use. "Similar vehicles have sold on GovDeals for $11,000," Beckett said, and he told council the training classes are valued at about $1,500 to $2,000 each. Beckett said the department has roughly 26 training credits remaining that staff can use over time.

Beckett also said the department has increased EMS revenue through billing and that mutual aid dispatches are determined by the CAD system based on the needs of each call. Mr. Chris Colvin asked whether mutual aid was governed by formal agreement; Beckett said it is handled by mutual-aid agreements with surrounding departments and by dispatch protocols.

Wayne Township Trustee Diane Colvin explained the township's change in how it classifies volunteers and paid staff under the Fair Labor Standards Act. She said an audit of past pay practices showed the township owed back pay. "It was determined that the Township owed $77,000 in back pay over a two-year period," Diane Colvin said. Under the revised approach, employees must choose to be paid part-time or serve as volunteers to avoid dual-rate pay problems under the FLSA.

Council members thanked Beckett for the update. The exchange highlighted operational shifts—hiring, billing, and training partnerships—that the department says have improved service but that also required a retrospective payroll adjustment to comply with federal law.