The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Firefighters to receive pay incentive after June
Quota must be met before $1 an hour raise given for six months
By Michelle Rogers, Editor
PUBLISHED: March 27, 2008
Milan firefighters who respond to more than their quota of calls for help will get additional pay after six months under a new guideline established by the Milan Area Fire Department's executive board March 20.
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The board voted to increase firefighters' hourly rate by $1 if they respond to 12 percent or more of the fire department's overall calls. The rate increase only will be valid for the next six months of the year, July through December, and then will be returned to the regular rate at the beginning of the new calendar year in January, with another opportunity to meet the goal in the next six months.
Board Chairman Dave Wittkop, who represents Milan Township on the fire board, said firefighters are paid about $16 per hour when they respond to calls from dispatch.
Wittkop proposed the incentive and change in employment guidelines for paid on-call firefighters from 12 percent of the quarterly dispatched incidents to biannually.
The move comes just a few months after the board changed the employment guidelines review period from annually to quarterly at Fire Chief Dave Webb's recommendation.
The initial change was requested because firefighters were finding it difficult to make the 12 percent run quota on an annual basis, according to a "Public Statement of Facts" document in the fire board's packet.
Milan Fire Marshal Martin Ritchie told the board during the public comment section of the board's March 20 meeting that he would forgo the $1 an hour increase if the board decided to maintain the fire department as a Category 1 responder rather than Category 2, a change approved by the board in January.
"I am a little amazed I am being offered $1 more an hour knowing the service I provide will be cut," he said. "I'd be more than glad to give that dollar back to give to (the public) the service they deserve."
His response drew applause from the audience, who throughout the meeting expressed concern that the fire department's change in classification would impact its level of service.
The change in classification is expected to reduce the total number of calls firefighters go on as Huron Valley Ambulance instead handles all non-life threatening calls as a first responder. The fire board is hoping to save the fire department money with the change in classification.
Dale Berry, president and chief executive officer of HVA, said the difference between Category 1 and 2 is based on service, not clinical outcome.
"When you go Category 2, the people who need them are going to have the fire department. It's a service question -- do you want people there holding their hand until we get there? That's what it comes down to. It's not a life or death question we're talking about."
Residents in the audience expressed concern in the change of classification and urged the board to reconsider the move. The board voted to investigate how much money it would save by switching from Category 1 to 2.
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