Giving firefighters a raise will save on overtime, Montgomery City Council is told

MONTGOMERY – A firefighter told the Montgomery City Council that giving his colleagues a raise will stop the Montgomery Fire Department from burning through overtime.

At a public hearing on the city of Montgomery’s $353 million budget, firefighter John Norris said that the fire department has 50 vacancies, and the city will spend $7 million to cover shifts this year.

“Overtime may keep the trucks rolling, but it’s expensive,” Norris said. “It drains morale, and it puts tired firefighters back on the street.”

He requested a 10% pay raise, claiming that it will reduce overtime and prevent turnover. Norris said it costs around $42,000 for new recruits to cover uniforms, benefits, testing, and academy pay. He said the “most cost-effective” staffing plan is to retain who is already working for the department.

He compared the salaries of other cities, noting that Birmingham pays its firefighters around $60,000 per year, Huntsville pays around $57,000 and Mobile pays around $55,000. This causes Montgomery to have difficulties in competing, he said.

“This is not about being the highest paid department,” Norris said. “It’s about being competitive enough to retain the firefighters and paramedics who know our city and protect our residents.”

The city will consider its budget for the fiscal year on Sept. 9 at 3:30 p.m. The city must have the budget approved by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.

The Montgomery City Council meets at 5 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month at City Hall on 103 North Perry Street. Recordings of meetings can be found on YouTube and Facebook. Agendas can be found here.