Collingswood Cuts New Deal with Firefighters
Like many labor negotiations of the day, new hires are going to find their salary and benefits reduced as the borough offsets the costs of salary increases within the 2 percent cap.
Collingswood firefighters are getting a raise.
Not a big one, and not all at once—but any pay increase for taxpayer-funded work is no small feat to negotiate in an era of federal sequestration and the 2-percent state budget cap.
At its monthly commissioners meeting Monday, the borough introduced an ordinance that would formalize a pay increase for Collingswood firefighters through 2015.
In terms of numbers, it is structured identically to that negotiated by the Collingswood Police Department: retroactive to 2012, department staff will receive annual pay increases of 1.5 percent, 1.5 percent, 1.75 percent and 1.75 percent through 2015.
Collingswood Fire Chief Keith Davis said those gains were earned at the cost of some concessions for future hires, but that they don't affect current employees as much.
"We gave a lot of concessions back a year ago to try to avert some layoffs," Davis told Patch. "All the contract negotiations are to keep the staff as they are now or to add employees."
The biggest change, he said, is a roughly $5,000 difference in starting salary for new hires, which takes effect January 1, 2014. New employees will also accrue 12 fewer hours of vacation time at the outset, and their sell-back of unpaid leave hours will be capped upon retirement.
Sick leave for new hires will also be half of that afforded current employees, and for the first three years of their employment, new hires will only receive an individual health insurance benefit.
"They have to buy into it if they want family coverage," Davis said; "They’re still going to contribute to their health insurance."
Davis said that since beginning his tenure as fire chief, he has sought to drive efficiencies in the department. A recently announced shared services agreement with Pennsauken for fire inspections is one such initiative, as is the department plan to refit its emergency vehicle versus buying a new one—work that he said should be completed soon.
"I think the town as a whole and each department has done a great job to keep services up" amid cost concerns, Davis said.
In per capita terms, the Collingswood Fire Department is the second-busiest in Camden County, and its EMS services are the third-busiest, he said.
"That includes the major townships and cities," Davis said. "We’re one of the busier fire and EMS."
Anne Carroll
2:01 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I'm puzzled why Collingswood Fire Department is the second busiest fire department in Camden County, in per capita terms. And third busiest for the EMS services. Can someone explain why this is so? Thanks!
Matt Skoufalos
10:44 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Hi Anne!
Actually wrote on this last year:
http://collingswood.patch.com/articles/extra-aid-to-camden-makes-collingswood-safer
Jeremiah Wright
6:19 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Let me take a stab at it Anne. If you call for an ambulance and make it clear what the call is for - somebody fainted for instance - the fire depertment will also respond, sometimes with hook and ladder like they do in Cherry Hill. I don't live in Colls, but I imagine thats what going on. This way they can lie to the public about how vital their services are. "Look - see Ms Josey Taxpayer - we responded to 40 million calls in 2012 - now give us more money, more vacation time, more sick days, pensions after 20 years. blah blah blah."
So called "civil servants" are crooks anymore. Not all, but most. This state is so over.
Joe
7:22 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
If you do not live in Collingswood, why do you care? Normally, I would just ignore such an ill-informed comment but I am not going to sit idly by while you disparage the hard, dangerous work of our first responders. These men and women go to work each day and put their lives on the line to save person and property and you call them "crooks"? Step down off your soapbox every once in a while and get some fresh air to your brain.
Collingswoodnative
6:59 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Regards sending trucks out on every call I to am left to wonder why they do it. Recall calling about ten years ago calling for transport to a hospital from home in Collingswood for my elderly mother. She was not able to walk down the steps to the car.
Called 911 explaned what was going on etc. We had police, ambulance, pumper truck and the paramedics all running with lights and sirens. Have to say on the positive side the response time was quick.
Also curious how many calls are to the Embers in Colls...err.... The Heights of Collingswood, sorry I slipped there.
Porterincollingswood
8:28 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I'd guess it has something to do with the fact that we have a lot of seniors in town, and probably a higher share of renters (who skew old) than neighboring towns.
Full disclosure, I have no data to back that up. All I know is that, sadly, the CFD or ambulance is by the Manor with alarming frequency.
Joe
1:58 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
For the past two years I have work as an EMT in Burlington County to pay my way though college and I also have lived in Collingswood my whole life. Because of this, I know a thing or two about EMS and Fire. Collingswood is the second-busiest fire and third-busiest EMS per square mile. I don't know why for fire, but for EMS it's because of Heights of Collingswood which has over 20 percent of the town population in such a small area. Also Collingswood has alot of seniors, which is about 80 percent of EMS calls. Also a fire truck DOES NOT go out on every EMS call. Fire is only dispatch on a EMS call when it's a CPR, unconscious, when ambulance is unavailable, some car accidents, lift assit, or if EMS ask for fire. I use to be with Cherry Hill Jeremiah Wright and it's the same thing. EMS and Fire are dispatch though Camden County. It's Camden County rules.