Fire chiefs press council for pay parity, 13 new hires and EMT‑B training in budget pitch

Fire department leaders told the City Council on April 28 that recruitment and retention problems threaten service continuity and requested several budget and policy actions.

A department presenter framed Milledgeville Fire Rescue as a career, full-time fire department and said the agency had conducted pay studies comparing neighboring departments. "We lose people to higher pay," the chief said, adding that the city invests heavily in training and that replacing personnel after they leave is costly. The presentation included a slide asserting the department’s improved ISO rating produced about $14,000,000 in savings for residents and businesses.

The chiefs asked the council to approve a competitive salary plan, adopt a policy to hold newly hired firefighters for at least three years, approve 13 new positions in anticipation of a new station, and migrate credentialing from 'first responder' to EMT‑B standards.

On pay parity, the chief said there is "roughly $4,000 of pay gap with police paid more than fire," and asked the council and city manager to consider parity because public safety roles share the same risks. The chiefs argued pay parity and the salary plan would improve recruitment and retention and reduce overtime costs in the longer term.

Councilors pressed for cost detail. Chiefs said individual EMT‑B certification could cost about $6,000 if pursued privately, but department partnerships with hospitals have previously reduced training costs and an in-house projection for program delivery was about $20,000. Regarding overtime, chiefs said a contingency of up to $500,000 was included to cover staffing shortfalls if new hires do not arrive before station openings; hiring 13 should, in their view, reduce overtime expenses over time.

The chiefs said the department’s current ISO rating is 3 and noted some ISO components (dispatch, water) are outside their direct control. They also highlighted an on-duty injury to a colleague (Ebony Kennedy) and described the inherent danger of firefighting.

Council did not take an immediate vote on the staffing or salary-plan requests; both items will be considered within the FY 2026–27 budget deliberations.