CHESAPEAKE
City firefighters work 24-hour shifts. To take a sick day, they have been allowed to accrue as much as 24 hours of sick leave per month.
So the city's firefighters weren't too happy last week when they heard City Manager William Harrell planned to reduce their sick leave to 11.2 hours per month.
Since then, Harrell has worked to find a compromise on the issue.
He thinks he's got it.
This week, Harrell said firefighters will be allowed to accrue 11.2 hours per month. But to take a full 24-hour day off, they will have to use only 16 hours of sick leave, he said. The policy is similar to Suffolk's.
"This brings us more in line with the market, but at the same time gives the firefighters a fairly generous benefit," Harrell said.
A city audit released last week showed that at least eight Chesapeake fire lieutenants received more than $24,000 in overtime during fiscal 2006, as the number of vacancies climbed to 55 by October 2006.
Deputy Fire Chief Ed Elliott said Wednesday that the chief ordered mandatory overtime during the last six months of 2006. The audit also showed that Chesapeake firefighters have received more sick hours per month than those in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk.
Elliott said the 24-hour sick leave accrual policy has been a "powerful retention tool" for the Fire Department.
He said he is not sure whether his firefighters will be satisfied with Harrell's compromise, which will go into effect July 1.
"Some are going to be satisfied," Elliott said. "Some are still going to see it as a cut."
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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A work day = a work day
Regardless of the job, an earned day of sick leave should equal a normal work day in hours. CFD works 24 hour shifts, give them 24 hours sick leave, not just 11.2. CPD uniformed officers work 8.5 hour shifts, give them 8.5 hours sick leave, not just 8. It all equals out when/if the leave is used or if not used, when cashed in at retirement at about 40% of it's value.
One Sick Fire Fighter
I am glad some of you get it. I truly am grateful for the supportive comments from most of you. It does not make any sense to us either. I am charged 24 hours so I should earn 24 hours. It is as simple as that. I find it ironic that the city wants to be like other surroundings cities when it comes to reducing our sick leave but when it comes to paying us like the other cities, they are slow to act.
The audit told them we were getting too much sick leave and "BAM" our sick leave is reduced. It also said our response time was not adequate. Let's see how long it takes the city to build new fire stations, hire more people (and keep them here), and build us a new training facility so we can be like all the other cities in the area.
I plead for those of you who really feel strongly about this to voice your concerns to city council. That is the only thing I know that can change this to make it fair.
Walk a mile in there shoes
I don't know where you live but the fire station near my house is going all the time. I hear those sirens everyday. They were there when I needed them and I hope they will be there when you need them. These guys work extra jobs because they don't get paid squat for the hours they work and for what they do. This city manager just kicked them in the teeth with his so called fix. All he did was create a bigger problem. Like every politician, they end up punishing the ones who weren't responsible for the overtime issue in the first place. How can anyone in their right mind look at this and say it is fair. What an idiot!
Totally asinine!
This is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard! The city in its infinite wisdom as "fixed" the problem by reducing the number of sick leave hours the FF can get. As one person posted, "address the REAL problem". My son, son-in-law, nephew, son-in-laws father and grandfather were/are all FireFighters. Contrary to one posters "informed" opinion, they usually work 24 on/24 off with breaks every two weeks for 3 days. In all their work weeks are full. They don't just "work" when there is a call. They train -HARD- every day to be ready; maintenance on the rigs and equipment, testing hoses, pumps, visiting businesses for inspections, helping elderly and low income with working smoke detectors, visiting schools for fire safety programs, manning checkpoints to inspect -FREE- the proper installation and use of car seats. All this during a "normal" 8 hour day and then possibly 2-3 calls all night for fire, accidents, etc. You have no clue what these brave men and women give up to serve you. GIVE THEM THEIR RIGHTFUL SICK LEAVE AND CHARGE THEM FAIRLY!!
Ignorance
Firefighters rarely work full time?????? That coming from a Portsmouth girl! Go to any of your fire stations and ask them when the last time they got a good nights sleep. Go ask any firefighter when they got a good nights sleep last, while at the station! Until you have spent a night at a fire station in any city in the area, don't tell us how easy our job is! We all have part time jobs so we can live......not because we "have so much time off"! We do it so we can to give our families a little something extra. As a regional firefighter for 15 years, it sickens me to see these comments about how good we have it! You come do our job!
Thanks Pilot!!!
I feel like that because of the negative feedback from your less-than-newsworthy article last week, the City of Chesapeake was forced to change the firefighters sick leave accrual, just to save face. The next time any of you need the services of the fire and rescue department, just remember the service you were provided. And remember the disservice that was just done to these firefighters.
What is a Day?
The city manager thinks he has fixed the problem! They earn a day off which is 11.2 hours. They work 24 hours but they are going to be charged 16 hours. This makes absolutely no sense. These employees work 56 hours a week. There is someone there to answer the call 365 24/7. Just decide what their day is and give them that much time a month and charge them the same. You are taking away a benefit from all the firefighters when you appear have a few that are the problem. Address the problem.
I agree!!
I totally agree to cut their sick leave. Yes, firefighters work 24 hour shifts, but how much of that do you think they spend sleeping, eating, etc. Occasionally they will work the full time, but it's rare. (Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful of what they do.) Plus, they don't work 5 days straight like other employees. Not sure about the schedule for Chesapeake, but others work every 3 days or on 2, off 5. Why do you think that most firemen have other jobs on the side - they have so much free time! And how many people actually take a sick day every month. If you do, I think something is wrong.
Rip off!
I am not a firefighter nor do I know any one employed by any fire department. If all city employees get 8 hours (or one work day) of sick leave a month and they are charged 8 hours for being sick for one day how is giving a fire fighter less than one sick day (or one shift day) per month fair? The city should give them 24 hours a month and charge them 24 hours sick leave whenever they are out sick for the day. Fair is fair.
Huh?
I don't get it. They can accrue 11.2 hours per month which is 134.4 hours a year. They need to USE 16 hours for their 24 hour shift.....o.k. If they were sick once a month each month for one year that's 192 hours of sick leave. They're in the hole!!! How's that work out fairly???