Mar. 29—Frederick County career firefighters will see salary increases in the next fiscal year following an agreement between their union and the county that was announced on Wednesday.
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater and Stephen Jones, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3666 president, signed a two-year contract on Wednesday on the agreement. It will take effect on July 1, a news release from the county said.
All career firefighters from the rank of captain and below — roughly 550 in total — will be affected, Jones said in an interview Wednesday.
According to the agreement, firefighters will see a pay scale increase of 8.6% in Fiscal Year 2024 and a 6% increase in Fiscal Year 2025, the release said.
Employees certified in specialized positions — such as paramedics, hazardous materials technicians, technical rescue technicians and water rescue technicians — will get additional compensation.
In FY22, the starting salary for a firefighter was $43,286, Chloe Scott, a county spokeswoman, said.
In FY24, it will increase to $47,220, she said. She did not have information for FY23.
In an interview Wednesday, Frederick County Fire Chief Tom Coe commended the pay-scale increase since it will keep the county competitive with surrounding counties. The agreement in general was "incredibly exciting," he said.
The agreement also includes increased leave for members of the Armed Services Reserves and a leave bank dedicated to training for Peer Support team members.
It also establishes a new procedure for firefighter grievances and how arbitration is handled, the release said.
The change of what could be negotiated stemmed from a 2018 ballot question, known as Question D, that voters passed through a referendum. It expanded collective bargaining matters for career firefighters in the county.
It also required an ordinance for binding arbitration by a neutral arbitrator funded in the county budget.
A bill that included binding arbitration and collective bargaining was approved in 2020, after it was introduced by Fitzwater, a County Council member at the time.
"The agreement signed today shows that the process established by the County Council in 2020 works," Fitzwater said in the release.
The negotiations for the agreement were the first to include firefighters' working conditions, the release said.
For example, the agreement outlines the formation of a Joint Health and Safety Committee that will monitor overall safety and health within Fire and Rescue and address concerns.
Most of the agreement solidified benefits the career firefighters already received through the county, Jones said.
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