Council approves hiring third firefighter to reduce overtime burden
Summary
After hearing from the fire chief about unsustainable 48-on/48-off schedules for two full-time staff, the council approved hiring a third paid firefighter; council members said the change would redistribute hours and not materially increase payroll, although insurance costs apply.
Quana Fire Department Captain K Dinger described sustained staffing strain since a recent retirement: two full-time firefighters were working 48 hours on and 48 hours off without paid overtime, leading to long pay periods and limited time off. "Since June 30th... Anthony Walker and myself... are working 48 on, 48 off without the ability to take vacation or use our sick time," captain K Dinger said, asking the council to lift a hiring freeze and approve a third firefighter.
Council members debated fiscal capacity and alternative staffing models but several said redistributing the same total hours across three employees would not materially increase payroll; the council approved allowing the fire department to hire a third paid firefighter (recorded in the transcript as five in favor and one opposed/abstention). The motion included direction to account for insurance and retirement implications when onboarding the new hire.
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