As fire department OT costs approach $200K, Jeannette chief asks for 4th firefighter

Jeannette council members are looking for ways to adjust staffing in the fire department as the city has paid $182,600 in overtime to its three full-time firefighters between 2021 and 2023.

More overtime is being accrued in 2024 as two firefighters currently are working 36-hour shifts while the third is off because of an injury suffered during a fatal fire in March. Their contract calls for 24-hour shifts with 48 hours off.

“Council is evaluating the current staffing situation and we are aware of the overtime costs and looking for ways to better staff the fire department,” Councilman Chad Krawtz said.

The only paid fire department in the county, the full-time trio is buoyed by about 40 supplemental and on-call firefighters who can pick up shorter shifts in the station and respond to calls. Under their contract, overtime is optional and, if no full-time firefighter wants an overtime shift, those slots can be filled by a supplemental firefighter who has at least equivalent training and capabilities.

Fire Chief Bill Frye said many who meet those qualifications have their own full-time jobs.

“It’s always been a slim list to begin with,” he said.

In 2021, the city paid $55,325 in overtime to its three firefighters, according to information provided to the Trib. The following year, the amount was $69,119. In 2023, the city paid $58,180. Those amounts include overtime related to emergency response and vacation coverage as well as injuries.

The contract sets the starting rate for new hires at $56,773, but a firefighter would make 80% of that during their first year of employment — about $45,000. That percentage increases over the following years and reaches 100% on the fourth year of service.

Additional costs include pension contributions, $650 uniform allowance and healthcare, which city manager Ethan Keedy estimated between $8,000 to $26,000, depending on the type of plan. Officials are looking for ways to minimize the overtime costs, which Keedy said are inevitable when a member of the department is off unexpectedly for medical issues.

“If we have all three of them working and not off on an extended period of time, we wouldn’t see the amount of overtime we have seen in the last two years,” he said.

The department has an estimated one injury a year, Frye said. While working overtime, their bodies may not have a sufficient chance to recover, and their judgement and situational awareness could be affected, in addition to the stressful nature of the job, he said.

“It’s not a safe environment to keep doing that for months on end,” he said.

Frye wants council to add a fourth full-time firefighter to the ranks. He understands the potential financial impact of the request, but said it would be worth it to improve the overall safety and wellness. The station is staffed around the clock.

“It hasn’t been unmanned in 100 years,” he said. “Somebody has to be here.”

Being a first responder can take a toll on many facets of a firefighter’s life — body, mind and family, among others, said Jennifer Taylor, director of Drexel University’s Center for Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends. A lack of quality sleep and time for the body to recover might cause stress levels to increase, plus a firefighter may not be able to perform at their best, she said.

“We’re not machines, we’re human beings,” she said.

City officials should consider the amount of time a firefighter might be spending at a scene and how long it takes for them to prepare for the next call, Taylor said.

“From my perspective, it sounds like they need more hires,” she said.