NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – The New Smyrna Beach city commission is set to discuss its budget Tuesday night that will include a big pay raise for the city’s fire fighters. Last month, News 6 covered firefighters rallying for better wages, arguing their pay ranks among the lowest in Florida.
Fire leaders warn that more than 30% of their staff have applied to higher-paying agencies in Central Florida. Losing that many could force temporary station closures or brownouts in the city.
“It’s a step in the right direction. We feel like it’s fixed compression,” said Brandon Carroll of the Local 2271 Fire Union.
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If the city commission approves the budget, Carroll says it will be a good starting point for fair pay.
“Hopefully our department becomes more marketable because ultimately, we’re still hiring,” Carroll added.
[RELATED VIDEO: New Smyrna Beach firefighters to rally for higher pay as many apply elsewhere]
Firefighters have been pushing for these changes amid recruitment challenges.
The New Smyrna Fire Department had only three applicants in its last hiring round.
The union points out that city EMTs currently earn $4,000 to $15,000 less annually than counterparts in other departments.
In negotiations, the city manager agreed to an almost 20% raise across the board.
“We put in the contract as well for lateral transfers when you come in with the pay matrix that us and the city come up with, they now come in at a little bit higher step,” Carroll explained.
The contract would last one year.
The city manager issued a statement to News 6:
“The City of New Smyrna Beach has reached mutually agreeable contracts with both the fire and police unions, which will be voted on by the City Commission tonight. If approved, the new contracts will go into effect on October 1st, ensuring Fire Department and Police Department personnel are compensated according to the updated agreements.
Public safety remains a top priority for the City Commission. We are committed to providing our public safety employees with the best equipment, state-of-the-art technology, exceptional training opportunities, a superior work environment, and competitive pay and benefits. Nearly half of our entire general fund budget is dedicated to fire and police services.
We deeply value our public safety employees and are proud to continue delivering the highest quality services to our community."