Oxford’s firefighters will see a little extra cash in their paychecks next year as the township board last week approved 2.5 percent pay raises for them.
‘Unless you’ve actually put on the fire boots, the fire coat and the hat, and done what the firefighter has done, you wouldn’t actually know what the job is like,? said Trustee Joe Bunting, who voted in favor of the raises and works as a police officer in Birmingham.
But these slight increases didn’t come without debate ? nearly 32 minutes worth to be exact ? and some opposition.
Trustee Mike Spisz made a failed motion to grant pay raises only to the fire department’s full-time employees (of which there are 13, not including the chief), not the approximately 40 paid-on-call volunteers.
‘My reasoning is based on the economic times today,? he explained. ‘I have a hard time giving anybody an increase. There’s companies out there taking pay cuts.?
‘I understand we need to be cognizant of what everybody does for our community,? Spisz said, but ‘there’s a lot of people out there losing their jobs everyday.?
Separating the two groups of firefighters was a ‘difficult? decision for Spisz who noted he ‘spent a lot of time thinking about this.?
‘The full-time people spend everyday there. They work hard. They bust their butts to do what they do.?
‘I’m not saying that the (volunteer) guys don’t, but they’re also just a paid-on-call,? Spisz noted. ‘They have other responsibilities outside of these duties.?
To not give them a raise is ‘not as big of a hit? as it would be for the full-timers who depend on the job as their livelihood in the trustee’s opinion.
Fire Chief Pete Scholz defended the paid-on-call staff..
‘First of all, when you’re referring to paid-on-call, please don’t address them as ‘just paid-on-call,?? he said. ‘Paid-on-call has been the backbone of this community for over 100 years. Without paid-on-call, we don’t have a fire department. They respond to every single call just like everybody else does.?
Scholz noted paid-on-call firefighters drive their own vehicles to and from calls and training/classes in other communities, are not reimbursed for fuel expenses, log many hours they’re not paid for and have the ‘exact same amount of training? as the full-timers do.
‘The majority of them make less $5,000 a year,? noted Margie Payne, the fire department’s administrative assistant. ‘Most of them hover (in the) $500 to $3,000 range. So we’re not talking really large salaries here.?
‘If you’re going to give a raise to part of the department, you should give it to all of them,? said resident Ed Hunwick. ‘You just can’t discriminate (between) paid-on-call and full-time . . . I don’t think it’s fair.?
Hunwick said all the firefighters deserve a raise and ‘actually, I think (2.5 percent is) a little bit small for what they do.?
Scholz said ‘it’s extremely hard to get paid-on-call people in the first place? due to the amount of schooling and training that’s involved and the fact that everyone’s required to respond to at least 15 percent of the department’s monthly calls.
‘I’d just like to take this time to thank all those volunteers that do drive to these scenes, do go to the courses and still (manage to) have somewhat of a normal family life. They’re to be commended,? said Supervisor Bill Dunn.
In addition to the 2.5 percent increases, two shift commanders were given 5 percent raises per a previous agreement.
Per his contract, Scholz, who took over as chief last month with a starting salary of $75,000 annually plus benefits, was granted a 2.5 percent increase to take effect after he’s completed his first year on the job Nov. 1, 2009.