With recent departures creating low staffing, firefighters are getting little sleep at Atlanta's busiest stations. | Milan LA/Pixabay
With recent departures creating low staffing, firefighters are getting little sleep at Atlanta's busiest stations. | Milan LA/Pixabay
Pay upgrades may be on the rise for Atlanta firefighters as Mayor Andre Dickens promised a boost in wages at a recent firefighter breakfast. This is amid reports that some fire department members had recently been forced to work 48 hours straight in order to keep all neighborhood stations open.
Atlanta firefighters union boss Nate Bailey told Atlanta City Council members that low pay, especially compared to smaller departments, is resulting in the departure of younger firefighters, a recent FOX 5 Atlanta news report said.
While some of the suburban fire departments pay their veteran firefighters over $70,000 annually, the top salary for a firefighter in Atlanta is approximately $55,000. Currently, pay starts at approximately $40,000 annually for a new recruit.
"That has been killing us," Bailey told FOX 5, referring to the starting salary paid to firefighters.
The union chief told FOX 5 that staffing has become "dangerously low," with firefighters getting little sleep at the busiest stations. At that time, he also noted that the department had 200 vacancies, including recruits.
Several members of the City Council are already on record with their intentions of supporting the Mayor's plan, which is expected to be revealed in greater detail in the coming days, FOX 5 said.
Alerts Sign-up