THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050180
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Another View
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
On April 25, 1995, City Council voted to close our Fire and Police retirement system to all persons hired after July 1, 1995. The reasons given for this action are very questionable. City Manager V. Wayne Orton stated that the enhanced retirement was no longer needed as a recruitment tool with the increase in the starting salary.
Portsmouth firefighters hired after July 1, will receive $23,015. They will pay Social Security on this amount. This will reduce the amount to $21,254. Mr. Orton's staff prepared a chart of entry level fire and police.
I ask this question: Where will the salaries of these firefighters be in five years? In Norfolk, firefighters after five years earn $25,656. After 10 years, $32,744, and 20 years, $36,900. You can add 5 percent to the above if they have a shock trauma certification. In Virginia Beach, entry level is $22,559. After five years of service, depending on the certification, they can earn from $25,000 to $42,350.
Both Norfolk and Virginia Beach pay overtime to their firefighters on a regular basis. Norfolk also pays for those who work out of rank.
Portsmouth has low salaries, no opportunity for overtime, no money for working out of rank. We have two lieutenants at this time that have been in charge of an engine company for a prolonged time with no extra compensation. In this year's budget, we now will be expected to become shock trauma technicians and ride on the medic units with no additional salary. Will patient care suffer because of this? I can't answer that at this time, but time will tell.
All of the other cities pay more when you certify beyond EMT level. When will Portsmouth do this? Where will the money come from? I believe that the medic service should stay as it is until money is available for more pay to our firefighters.
The one thing we did have over other cities was our retirement system. Now that has been closed. Why would anyone come to Portsmouth when there is better pay and equal retirement benefits in our surrounding cities? There is more to the overall picture than just increasing the starting salary. Where will these new firefighters be five and 10 years from now?
I remember when firefighters did not have to defend their positions in the communities. Now we must fight for new fire equipment, new fire stations, pay increases, and now fight the reduction of retirement benefits. We are just as dedicated to our profession as are those firefighters who went to Oklahoma City. We deserved the better retirement benefits. We earn them every time we respond to an emergency.
Everytime someone is shot in this city, the fire department responds. We respond to every life-threatening emergency that occurs in this city. We respond to fires and Haz-Mat incidents. In my 20 years, I have seen infants lifeless with no recovery and I have assisted with many calls that the patient did not survive. I have been involved with many attempted rescues. Some were successful. Those that were not, we covered with a sheet and we assisted the family. All of those incidents have a stressful impact on our lives.
Until you have stood in our shoes, we can't expect you to understand the strife and the joy of being a firefighter. Fire stations do not close. We work after an 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule has been completed by most. Christmas and other holidays are another day at work. Granting us an enhanced retirement so we can retire before injury and sickness sets in is a small price to pay for what we give back to the citizens and community.
When you read this and support our position, please contact the city manager and city council and ask them to support their firefighters.
Tuesday night, when we lost the vote on our retirement, Mr. Orton smiled and winked at Ms. Whitaker. She smiled back. I ask what satisfaction can you experience by beating down your fire department. I am glad I don't fit into that mold.
LLoyd Beazley
President Local 539
P.P.F.F. by CNB