Homewood firefighters raise concerns over pay; city leaders vow to find solution

Members of the Homewood Firefighters Association have raised concerns about the lack of cost-of-living adjustments given by the city amid rising inflation over the past few years.

Homewood has been “fairly stagnant” when it comes to cost-of-living adjustments, especially compared to surrounding departments, said Mark Robison, president of the association, which serves as the union for the city’s firefighters.

Robison penned an open letter to city leadership that was posted on social media in late April.

In the past 15 years, Robison said inflation has risen nearly 33%, but the Fire Department has only received an 11.8% cumulative increase in cost-of-living adjustments. Robison said other departments in Jefferson and Shelby counties have received, on average, a 23% increase in cost-of-living adjustments over the same time period.

Vestavia Hills, according to Robison, gave no cost-of-living adjustment in fiscal 2018, a 3% adjustment in 2019 and a 1% adjustment in 2020. Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes said the city gave a 1% retroactive adjustment in fiscal 2021. [The city paid employees a lump sum based upon what they would have received had they actually received the raise earlier in the year and picked up with the new adjusted salary from that point forward.]

Mountain Brook gave a 2% adjustment in 2018, a 2.5% adjustment in 2019, a 0.5% adjustment in 2020 and no adjustment in 2021.

Trussville also gave a 2% adjustment in 2018, a 2% adjustment in 2019 and none in 2020 and 2021.

Hueytown, according to Robison, didn’t give any adjustment in 2018, 2019 or 2020 but gave a 2.5% adjustment in 2021.

Homewood didn’t give an adjustment in 2018, gave a 2% adjustment in 2019, gave no adjustment in 2020, and gave a 1% adjustment in 2021.

According to Robison, Homewood has only given a little less than 12% in adjustments since 2007, with Vestavia Hills giving 17%, Mountain Brook giving 23%, Hueytown giving 22% and Trussville giving 18.5%. The Homewood Star reached out to these city governments to verify these numbers but received no response at press time.

In addition to the difference in pay, Robison said other departments use a different schedule to give employees more time off. Combined with higher money being offered, it makes it tough to compete, he said.

“We’re a stepping stone department,” Robison said.

Roughly 30 firefighters have left in the past couple of years, Robison said. Fire Chief Nick Hill confirmed that number was “pretty close,” though not all of them left because they were unhappy. Robison said eight firefighters have retired, and Hill added some left because they didn’t want to participate in the department’s fitness program.

Still, Hill stands behind what the association is seeking.

“Obviously, they want to have the same purchasing power they had when they took this job,” Hill said.

Not keeping pace with neighboring departments may not be a “morale killer,” Hill said, but it makes it hard to retain employees.

Having so many people leave and being short-staffed creates stress and more work for the firefighters who remain, Robison said. It’s also “exhausting” to train someone, only to see them walk out the door for a better opportunity.

“I’m hearing guys daily come to me and say, ‘I can’t support my family,’” Robison said. “Our workload every year is drastically increasing.”

Many firefighters work for two departments, and some are only home two nights a week, Robison said.

Brendt Wood left the Homewood Fire Department for Fultondale’s department in September 2021 after five years of service. He said while Homewood used to be one of the best-paying departments in the state, the focus has shifted to schools, sidewalks, bridges and other issues, instead of taking care of emergency personnel.

“Their focus is on … a high school with a weight room that looks like the University of Alabama’s. What about a 50-year Fire Department?” Wood said.

Wood said the city needs a city manager like its neighbor, Vestavia Hills. City leadership is currently examining proposing a new form of government to residents for a vote.

“You need somebody that’s actually the boss,” Wood said. “The mayor, council either don’t listen or hear to guys on the ground level about what they want. … We’re out there on the front lines.”

Wood said it is the police and fire departments, not the mayor or City Council, who will respond in the event of an active shooter.

If things don’t change ahead of next fiscal year, it might get worse, Robison said. “I think you’ll see a large number of people leave.”

Robison said it was a “slap in the face” to not receive higher cost-of-living adjustments last year after the city reported higher tax revenues, including a 16% increase in sales tax revenues compared to fiscal 2020 and an 8% increase in property tax revenues.

“We’re kind of put on the backburner,” Robison said. “These guys work their tails off to provide the best service for the citizens.”

One of the association’s other requests is for the city to create a retention and recruitment plan, as well as absorb more health care costs to lower insurance costs passed on to employees.

The association is also asking to move to what is called a Kelly cycle, where firefighters work one 24-hour shift, have one day off, followed by another 24-hour shift, another day off and then one last 24-hour shift. The last shift is followed by four days off. Every 13th shift, a firefighter gets a “Kelly Day,” an unpaid day off that helps control overtime. It gives firefighters four more days off during the year and changes the length of the pay period, Robison said.

Robison said he’d also like to see the department hire three additional personnel at a cost of roughly $150,000 a year.

Councilor Walter Jones, head of the council’s Finance Committee, said the city has chosen to give bonuses and absorb any increases in health care as opposed to giving higher cost-of-living adjustments.

One-time bonuses based on years of service have been given, pending a surplus at the end of the fiscal year for the past 10 to 12 years, Jones said. In the last two years, the city has also given employees federal funds that were meant to offset the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If firefighters would rather have cost-of-living increases, Jones said that’s possible, but the city might have to pass on any increases in health care costs.

“I believe we are very comparable (to other cities),” Jones said.

Jones said the city is working on a total compensation statement for each employee, which will help them see a breakdown of their pay and benefits.

Jones said he disagreed with Robison’s letter and is proud of what the city has done for its employees. For example, the city paid about $175,000 to absorb a rise in health care costs for employees last year, he said.

“If cost-of-living adjustments are most important … we have to look at passing on the next (health care) increase,” Jones said.

Council President Alex Wyatt said the council will see what’s proposed at budget time this year, but he believes the city can address the issue in a “better way.”

Hill and Robison said they are encouraged by recent conversations with Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky.

“I think the city will do the right thing and will make the cost-of-living adjustments substantial enough to retain people,” Hill said.

Robison said he left a recent meeting with McClusky encouraged.

“A lot of this may have been a breakdown in communication,” Robison said.

McClusky said he appreciated the association letting him know of its concerns, and he met with Robison a few days after the letter was made public.

“The last thing I want to do is have city employees who are unhappy here or are struggling,” McClusky said.

McClusky said he can understand why the city has focused on absorbing health care costs and bonuses and also why firefighters want higher cost-of-living adjustments.

He said his hope is to put together some kind of plan to get cost-of-living adjustments back to comparable levels within four or five years.

Department heads will meet in August ahead of formulating the fiscal 2023 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1.