09.b1 Staff Report - Firefighter Wage Increase
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: November, 15th 2022
To: City Council
From: Mike Hinz, Fire Chief
Re: Firefighter Wage Increase
Background:
Scandia fire department is a Paid-On-Call department of the city. I had the city clerk (Brenda) do a search
of past pay increases for the firefighters. We found that prior to 7/18/2017 at least back to 2005 (this is
how far back the payroll system goes) the pay rate was $10 for probationary and $11 for firefighters. In
2017 there was a pay increase of 3% to $10.30 & $11.33. There has not been an increase since 2017. I
would like to see an increase to $16 for probationary and an increase to $17 for firefighter.
I have supplied wage results for some of the other departments near us in Washington County
(Mahtomedi, Lower Saint Croix Valley, Bayport, Hugo & Forest Lake). I would also like to note that
most departments in the state are underpaying their firefighters for a job that requires lots of training,
interrupts their daily life and is very dangerous. Firefighters are required to respond to emergency calls at
all hours of the day and night including holidays and family events. I believe that firefighters should have
a future wage goal of approximately $30 for the type of duties they are required to perform.
I have attached Forest Lakes Employee Compensation policy. While talking with the Forest Lake fire
chief, we have discussed the fact that paid on call firefighters have been under paid for many years. Forest
Lake is working on bringing their compensation in line with other city staff within their city over the next
few years. We have been having issues for at least the last 15 years and feel that increasing the pay rate
will help increase our recruitment & retention levels.
The city pays part-time parks and public works employees $12-$16 per hour. For wage equality, the city
should be compensating firefighters at minimum a similar wage as these other part-time employees even
though firefighting is a higher-level job with higher risks.
I would like to also increase the current $100 compensation for completion and certification as firefighter
II and/or EMT to $150. Firefighter 1 & 2 is a 140-hour course which equates to $0.89/hour and EMT is a
160-hour course which equates to $0.78/hour. Both of these courses are not paid any hourly wage.
Also increase the Stipend for fire school from $60 to $75
Also increase Officer pay as follows:
Assistant Chiefs from $200 to $350
Captain from $100 to $250
Engineer from $100 to $150
Issue:
Should the council approve a pay increase for Firefighters effective the first of the year?
Proposal Details:
Increase Probationary rate to $16.00/hour and increase basic Firefighter to $17.00/hour. Also increase
other compensation as listed below. Effective January 1, 2023. I recommend leaving the $1.00 step
increase for Firefighter II, EMT certification & Officer assignment.
Hourly (Paid in Half-Hour Increments): Pay Rate:
Probationary Firefighter / Base Pay: $16.00/hr.
Non-Probationary Firefighter $17.00/hr.
Emergency Medical Technician Certification: Plus $1.00/hr.
Firefighter II Certifications: Plus $1.00/hr.
Officer: Plus $1.00/hr.
Other Compensation:
Assistant Chief: $350.00 / mo.
Fire Captain: $250.00 / mo.
Fire Engineer: $150.00 / mo.
Completion & Certification as Emergency Medical
Technician
$150.00
Completion & Certification as Firefighter II $150.00
Attendance at Minnesota State Sectional Fire
School
$75.00/ Training
Fiscal Impact:
In 2021 firefighters were paid for 5,359 hours of service. 5,359 hours x $5.67 per hour pay increase =
$30,386 increase in wages. This is an estimate based on last year, but may be more or less, based on
actual call volume hours. I have included a PowerPoint and Excel worksheet for your review.
Options:
(1) Approve the firefighter compensation increase as stated in the table above.
(2) Approve different wage level and certification increase
(3) Not approve
Recommendation:
Option (1).
Scandia Current Mahtomedi
Lower Saint
Croix Valley Bayport Hugo Forest Lake
Probation 10.30$ $ 15.22 $ 16.00 3%5%
Firefighter 11.33$ $ 15.00 $ 17.00 $ 15.07 $ 19.50 $ 19.25 2005 10.00$ 2005 10.00$
Cert as FF2 Plus $1.00 2006 $10.30 2006 $10.50
Cert as EMT Plus $1.00 2007 $10.61 2007 $11.03
Engineer Plus $1.00 $ 20.12 $ 19.50 2008 $10.93 2008 $11.58
Lieutenants $ 20.74 $ 19.75 2009 $11.26 2009 $12.16
Captain Plus $1.00 $ 21.36 $ 20.00 2010 $11.59 2010 $12.76
Chief Officer Plus $1.00 $ 22.49 $ 20.25 2011 $11.94 2011 $13.40
After 5 years add/year till year 10 $ 0.50 2012 $12.30 2012 $14.07
2013 $12.67 2013 $14.77
Fire Calls & Training 15.00$ 17.00$ 15.07$ 2014 $13.05 2014 $15.51
Transports BLS 22.50$ 2015 $13.44 2015 $16.29
Chief/month 578.24$ 2016 $13.84 2016 $17.10
Assistant Chief/month 200.00$ 345.00$ 390.66$ 2017 $14.26 2017 $17.96
Captain/month 100.00$ 204.00$ 294.98$ 2018 $14.69 2018 $18.86
SCBA coordinator 38.25$ 2019 $15.13 2019 $19.80
additional Training Officer 191.28$ 2020 $15.58 2020 $20.79
Report enter/month 4 hours/month 95.64$ 2021 $16.05 2021 $21.83
Annual increase 3%2022 $16.53 2022 $22.92
2023 $17.02 2023 $24.07
Hugo-plus retention increases. Each person gets $.50 more per hour after 5 years,
then an additional $.50 per hour each year after that until year 10 max $2.50 after 10 years of service
Hourly Pay Current Pay rate
Increase to
base pay
Actual
Increase
Probationary Firefighter 10.30$ 16.00$ 5.70$
Non-Probationary Firefighter 11.33$ 17.00$ 5.67$
Firefighter 2 certification Plus $1.00 Plus $1.00 -$
EMT certification Plus $1.00 Plus $1.00 -$
Officer (Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain
& Engineer)Plus $1.00 Plus $1.00 -$
Max Hourly Wage 14.33$ 20.00$
Other compensation Current Proposed
Assistant Chief 200.00$ 350.00$ 150.00$ 4,800.00$ 8,400.00$
Captain 100.00$ 250.00$ 150.00$ 3,600.00$ 9,000.00$
Engineer 100.00$ 150.00$ 50.00$ 1,200.00$ 1,800.00$
Completion of EMT Course &
Certification $ 100.00 150.00$ 50.00$ Total Officer 9,600.00$ 19,200.00$
Completion of FF1 Course &
Certification $ 100.00 150.00$ 50.00$
Completion of FF2 Course &
Certification $ 100.00 150.00$ 50.00$
Attendance at Sectional Fire School $ 60.00 75.00$ 15.00$
Wages
If Increases had been done regularly
30,207.74$ increase for last year total hours
Forest Lake Fire Department
Forest Lake Fire Department Member Handbook
Section: 06
Title: Employee Compensation
Originator: Alan Newman Revision #: 3 Approved
by: Alan Newman
Effective: 01/01/22 Date: 01/01/22 Date: 01/01/22
Page 1 of 2
Compensation
Employees will be compensated according to schedules adopted by the City Council. Unless
approved by the Council, employees will not receive any amount from the City in addition to
the pay authorized for the positions to which they have been appointed. Expense
reimbursement or travel expenses may be authorized in addition to regular pay.
The current pay schedule is listed below:
$16.00 Probationary Firefighter
$19.25 Firefighters
$19.50 Engineers
$19.75 Lieutenants
$20.00 Captains
$20.25 Assistant Chief
$20.50 Deputy Chief
Compensation for temporary employees will be set by the City Council on an annual basis.
Under the Minnesota Wage Disclosure Protection law, employees have the right to tell any person
the amount of their own wages. While the Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. §13.43), specifically lists
an employee’s actual gross salary and salary range as public personnel data, Minnesota law also
requires wage disclosure protection rights and remedies to be included in employer personnel
handbooks. To that end, and in accordance with Minn. Stat. §181.172, employers may not:
• Require nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages as a condition of employment;
• Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document which purports to deny an
employee the right to disclose the employee's wages;
• Take any adverse employment action against an employee for disclosing the employee's
own wages or discussing another employee's wages which have been disclosed voluntarily.
• Retaliate against an employee for asserting rights or remedies under Minnesota Statute
§181.172, subd. 3
The city cannot retaliate against an employee for disclosing his/her own wages. An employee’s
remedies under the Wage Disclosure Protection law are to bring a civil action against the city and/or
file a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry at (651) 284-5070 or 1/800-
342- 5354.
Forest Lake Fire Department
Forest Lake Fire Department Member Handbook
Section: 06
Title: Employee Compensation
Originator: Alan Newman Revision #: 3 Approved
by: Alan Newman
Effective: 01/01/22 Date: 01/01/22 Date: 01/01/22
Page 2 of 2
Direct Deposit
As provided for in Minnesota law, all employees are required to participate in direct deposit.
Employees are responsible for notifying the Fire Chief of any change in status including
changes in address, phone number, names of beneficiaries, marital status, etc.
Time Reporting
Employees will be paid according to the time reported on their extra hours’ time sheet,
responses to emergency calls, and for meetings. To comply with the provisions of the federal
and state Fair Labor Standards Acts, extra hours worked are to be recorded on the date they
occurred and submitted to payroll on a quarterly basis. Each time reporting form must
include the initials of the officer who authorized the extra hours. Reporting false information
on a time sheet may be cause for immediate termination.
No extra hours will be granted for those activities that are not “department business”. This
includes - Relief Association activities; department social activities and planning; fund raising
activities; etc.