MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Milledgeville's Fire Department says they need higher pay or they'll keep losing staff.
That's what they said at one of the city's hearings a few weeks ago to determine the budget for next year. City leaders are having their last hearing Tuesday.
They say that their situation is critical and explain why they need the money.
Battalion Chief David Ussery says 13 people have left the fire station since last year. He says now more than half the staff has less than two years of experience, and that could be dangerous for both them and the community.
"We cannot neglect it this year,” he says. “We have to address the salaries."
Ussery says the city has failed to address their salary problems for years. He says they're now at a critical point with staff leaving.
"It wasn't just our young firefighters, it was our middle management that left,” Ussery says.
Those are the sergeants and company officers who manage the rookies and supervise when responding to scenes.
"The risk drastically increase by not having experienced firefighters."
However, Ussery says that's not the worst part.
He says they've asked the city for a $400,000 total pay raise and it's being wasted in other ways.
"Every time we hire a firefighter, it costs the city of Milledgeville $26,900. "
He says once trained, those firefighters often leave after a year for better pay somewhere else.
“So we think about the 13 that left, and then you compile that with the overtime pay, which was $150,000. We're spending nearly $400,000 already,” Ussery explains.
He says it usually takes at least two years of experience to promote someone to their sergeant and company officer positions. However, their staff shortages have them promoting folks sooner.
Like Sgt Courtney Butts who was just promoted after a year at the station.
"The promotion did come quick, but I felt like I did everything capable of getting that promotion,” she says.
Butts says she made $31,000 as a starting firefighter, but even with a promotion she works two jobs.
“To make it day by day, we have to find something else to do. If I could, I wouldn’t have to work a second job. Just getting off and going to another job while I’m working four to five days straight,” she explains. “Just being 23 years old, it's tough."
Butts says she understands why so many people have left.
“Surrounding counties are paying more,” she says. “Everybody has other obligations other than being a firefighter. They have things they have to do at home, families to take care of, bills.
She says if the pay doesn't increase she may have to leave too.
"This is my hometown, this is my community and I would hate to have to go, but at the end of the day I got to make the best decision that's for myself. That’s a loss because if we’re losing all of our people, then who’s gonna be here to protect all the people,” Butts asks.
Ussery says fire fighters put their lives at risk and are an integral part of the community. He says they do more than put out fires.
“We have youth development programs. We’re labeled as an ‘all-hazard’ type organization. We respond to all hazards! There’s not anything that the fire department won’t be responding to. Like, we just faced this water crisis. We were in the middle of all this water crisis handing out water, potable water,” Ussery says.
Ussery says they're asking for a $400,000 total pay raise again this year. He says they're optimistic that negotiations will go well this year.
The city is wrapping up the community hearings and will begin to decide what will be funded.