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| First Responders and Corrections employees are receiving 3% raises effective immediately now that MOU's have been signed..... |
....And with these raises----it makes 8 of the last 9 years (according to the information I have)--- that these corrections and first responder employees have been given 3% increases by the Escambia Board of County Commissioners, similar to what we have funded for Sheriff's Deputies over the same period of time....
Now, the county and these unions are still bargaining over other issues, but these MOU's allow the employees to get the raises right away without any hold ups or slow downs as the bargaining continues.
I know that our county values, respects, and supports our first responders and corrections employees--and I am especially grateful for what they do in our community. They definitely do deserve these pay increases (over 20% over the last 7 years) that the county has provided! See the MOU's below.
While the 3% is greatly appreciated, it isn't enough to keep employees from leaving. Many employees have started filling out applications already just waiting to get a job with a neighboring department. Over the past 9 year's the 3% has helped but due to insurance going up and other cost it has kept bring home pay stagnant. Starting firemen in our surrounding areas are making more money than 10-20 year firemen in Escambia county. Employees are seeing it and don't feel as if there's any reason to stay so they're leaving and many more are on the way out. They're just waiting to be picked up from another department. I ask you to look at http://www.midwayfire.com/ and watch the video on hiring. It shows a department that has a plan and commissioners that listen and follow through with it. Thanks for your time.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: Thanks for your service as a fireman. We value and respect what you all do. I'm glad you acknowledge the 8 years of 3% increases yearly has been a good thing. Many I have spoken with in the private sector and even some government sectors have come nowhere near that kind of a string of raises--nowhere close. Also, the insurance has gone up, ever so slightly this year, for the county's Blue Cross plan. But I would say this: That insurance for a family is about $350 monthly--and no other entity comes close to this kind of a quality plan for this affordability--outside of a few selected private employers (NFCU, UPS). The average family paying for Blue Cross--even with an employer match--is paying a lot more out of pocket (some over $1,000 monthly in payroll premium deductions)plus they don't have the free clinic for employees we offer. Another thing to consider is the state pension benefit that we offer--it is generous as well--and we saw that voters one county over didn't vote to fund some of their firefighters' retirement as we do here--which surprised and disappointed me, frankly. But that was the voters' choice, and they made it. I requested and have a printout of all the salaries of all firefighters in Escambia County for a 3-year period. Some of the guys are making very good money, lots of overtime, lots of other differentials added in and the bottom line looks good for many of these guys--but hey--I get it and if the grass is greener somewhere else nobody would blame anyone for going for the higher paying job. That's what a free market economy is all about. We want folks to stay, but nobody would ever begrudge any employee in any category from pursuing more lucrative opportunities.
ReplyDeleteSo is it just the EMT's and Firefighters that get the 3% raise this year? What about the other county employee's, Road Depart, Public Works etc..
ReplyDeleteAll county employees got a 3% cost of living wage increase. Dont let this misinformation fool you. I'm not sure but I would assume even commissioners got the raise.
ReplyDeleteLOLOLOLOLOLOL you act like this is a big deal and you had something to do with it. THIS. HAPPENS. EVERY. YEAR. a 3% COLA (cost of living adjustment) is "given" by the bocc. guess what though, it comes out of each dept's budget. so unless they have a funding increase they have to rob peter to pay paul. not to mention the 3% is usually nullified and sometimes even puts the employee back in the negative because after this "raise" county employees that pay for family health insurance bring home an extra whopping $200 or so a year. which breaks down to about $8 per pay period. can't wait to see how they get to spend all that money!
ReplyDeletethis should make you scratch your head
Commissioner's Aide
Class Title
Commissioner's Aide
Class Code
963-DBMB32
Salary
$40,352.00 - $46,404.80 Annually
Corrections Officer (Certified), Jail
Class Title
Corrections Officer (Certified), Jail
Class Code
867-DBMB23
Salary
$34,590.40 - $40,206.40 Annually
Emergency Medical Specialist
Class Title
Emergency Medical Specialist
Class Code
446_442-DBMB211
Salary
$25,979.20 - $31,574.40 Annually
Positions Salary:
EMT - $12.49 hourly
Paramedic - $16.00 hourly
Emergency Communications Dispatcher
Class Title
Emergency Communications Dispatcher
Class Code
411-DBMB21
Salary
$25,979.20 - $30,180.80 Annually
Firefighter
Class Title
Firefighter
Class Code
501-DBMB21
Salary
$30,687.93 Annually
there is seriously something wrong with this picture.
"Some of the guys are making very good money, lots of overtime, lots of other differentials added in and the bottom line looks good for many of these guys--but hey--I get it and if the grass is greener somewhere else nobody would blame anyone for going for the higher paying job" well guess what, the grass is greener every where else. broke down engines, maintenance issues in fire stations that takes 2,3, sometimes 4 weeks to attend to the simplest of repairs.
1. name the differentials? EMT/Medic? that's it, no other incentives. check the stipend program and the incentives that are afforded paid-on-call and they are NOT "volunteer"
2. LOTS of overtime, lol OVERTIME. if some didn't they would be on gov't assistance and OT has them art work more than they are home, so where does that leave them? you enjoy every weekend and holiday off. yes, they signed up for it but while you are enjoying your holidays and weekends guess who is on the ready to make sure you are safe and if something was to occur, take great care to assist you. also, you know why there is so much OT to be "enjoyed", because the bocc refuses to fund the fd properly. there is no excuse.
3. every time a COLA "raise" has gone into effect, health insurance has all but wiped it out entirely.
so toot your horn, bang your drum and pound your chest. still the same old tired song and dance.
Anonymous 7:52
ReplyDeleteThe 3% raise, given over a number of years consecutively, is not merely a "cost of living increase" --it is a raise in pay. Now, you can call it that if you want to, but it is more than a cost of living increase, which is like 1% per yer---if you are fortunate enough to even get one. Put another way--the increase is something that MANY employees that do not work in government have not and do not get. They would LOVE to have a string of 8 years running with a 3% each year. And the comment about our insurance going up is flat out, dead wrong. One plan went up slightly this year. Last year, no increase to the plan. So unless there is some other plan of which you are aware that went up, I'm not sure what you are talking about. You are obviously not happy. Not happy about the volunteer firefighters having a role in the fire service, not happy about what other employees earn, not happy period. If you are not happy, why stay? If you are so miserable, why stay this way? You can leave anytime, maybe you will find the grass is greener in Navarre or somewhere else. Maybe it's not greener there, though. But life is short, don't stay in a position where you sound as if you are miserable.
This just shows the horrible attitudes of these folks. Take a drive by one of the fire stations, the personal vehicles are far different than those at other county facilities. Whatever became of the firefighter who was proud to serve, without this new “but” we deserve more.
ReplyDeleteOur military are at greater risk and many have a lower salary. Some are even on government subsidies. These men and women don’t have the luxury of additional pay for working over 56 hours a week or working another profession when they are during a 24-48 hour rotation. They believe in their commitment to serve.
Why on earth would the volunteers need to be brought up in this too. Yes it appears the author is an unhappy, disgruntled little person who doesn’t deserve to be wearing the uniform.
This smear campaign has got to stop. It is not giving the general public a positive image of the “professional” firefighters in Escambia County.
In case you missed it, it is called a COLA, not the drink. As for those who do not work in guvmint, that's a moot point.
ReplyDeleteI will address the reply about the vehicles parked at the fire station. Stop and look. Ask. What you see isn't always what you get. Many of these vehicles could be used for family vehicles and possibly their wives have better paying jobs as a non-govt employee. It's probably a a good chance that these ff's work OT, alot of OT,just to make ends meet and make a car payment.
You mention military personnel getting paid less. Don't they receive housing allowance? Pretty much free medical care? You can't compare apples to oranges.
Jeff, If you really give a crap about civil servants that provide critical services, how you and your 4 buddies make a motion to not accept your 3%? That's putting your money where your mouth is. If Trump can do it, so can you.
It's nice to see that a commissioner aide makes as much or more money than a ff, emt or corrections officer. It's funny how you didn't address that at all. Must be nice to work an 8-5 w/ a regular lunch break and get holidays off, weekends, 3 day weekends and every evening home with the family. Did they sign up to be ff, EMTs, corrections officers? Yep. It must speak alot about their heart to want to serve their fellow man by providing such critical services.
It's easy to look down from your leather chair and say, oh, I love the fire Dept, EMTs, corrections! If you really did, show them. Be bold. Do something unprecedented.
Lastly, the "positive" image professional ff's provide is consistently responding to your incidents, lowering your insurance costs if you live within 5 ROAD miles, not a 5 mile radius as Jeff has wrongly shown, providing ALS care to residents when EMS is double assigned while still at the hospital delivering the patient they just picked up, and so forth and so on. It's amazing that out BOCC has little first-hand knowledge of how their emergency services work but when you think about it, it's really not. I mean, why would you care?
"Not happy about the volunteer firefighters having a role in the fire service"
ReplyDeletenever mentioned what you state as above. simply mentioned that the career ff's do not receive any incentive for other state certifications they hold other than emt/paramedic. also, they are not VOLUNTEER. they are PAID-ON-CALL. they get paid monthly stipends which negates the term VOLUNTEER. so stop calling them volunteer. paid-on-call fire chief's receive the equivalent pay of a full-time job doing a part-time job if they meet the call criteria. vehicle, phone, fuel, monthly stipend, etc. so quit using the term VOLUNTEER and misleading the public. its not very nice and its a lie.
and as far as animosity goes between career and paid-on-call, you are the one that continues to perpetuate that misnomer. once again, no clue as to how things are in the real world.
that's awesome leadership telling someone to leave. how about finding out why they are not happy? here's the funny part, the grass is greener to the east. you may have a few, possibly more people leaving critical emergency services so they can get paid what they are worth and sufficient staffing to help decrease the workload. escambia hasn't done anything to make the grass greener. 3%? as stated prior, $8 a pay period, at least a value meal or two at wendy's sans the taxes.
people used to bang down the door to come work at escambia. now when you hear the door bang, its at it closes behind when they leave. you counter with, well, we'll just hire those who want to work. good luck. word gets around how things really are and the issues that plague the emergency services. they will look at the pay and see an office worker makes more than a person that puts their skills to the test everyday that involves critical thinking skills, specialty training, courage, determination and a little bit of crazy to make a difference in someones life on a day to day basis.
you and the 4 amigos have alot of work to do. administrator gilley will need some support. give it to her. help her correct the issues that you have ignored for so long. you may have only been here a couple years, your school baord time doesn't count, so for you to say, we have given blah, blah, blah, for the last seven years is not very convincing. yes, i know you're speaking collectively but its still sounds silly.