News | Peachtree City

PTC looks to attract younger police, fire recruits

Mon, 03/03/2008 - 10:28am
By: John Munford

To attract younger police officers and firefighters, Peachtree City will explore the use of “cafeteria” benefits.

If such a plan is adopted, those younger recruits could opt out of their healthcare coverage, should they have benefits through their spouse, and instead get the equivalent cost added to their salary.

The matter was discussed at the council’s annual retreat Friday morning.

Fire and police executives also said that they’d like to see salary incentives rolled out for gaining specialized certifications that benefit the city. City Manager Bernie McMullen said he wants to look at such a plan city-wide as other departments have similar training issues, and he also wants such benefits to be revenue-neutral.

Acting Police Chief Mike DuPree said the department is down to five vacancies, not including the chief’s position, and is about to send at least two more officers to police academy. He said the department’s leadership believes that the benefits package, which includes a retirement at 55 years old for all public safety employees, is very attractive, and helpful since the department is recruiting more folks in their 30s and 40s instead of just those fresh out of college.

Another issue that needs to be addressed for the police department is compression, which creates salary conflicts among different ranks for employees who have stayed with the city for some time, DuPree said. The police department wants to recruit employees to stay with the department, he added.

The city will also look at changes to its take-home vehicle policy, which is currently limited to the officers who live in the city. Some 33 percent of the officers live in the city while another 48 percent live in Fayette County and the rest mostly live in Coweta County, McMullen said.

Fire Chief Ed Eiswerth said though he was able to fill six new positions recently it took three months, which was quite a long time. Eiswerth said he’s still shooting for the younger employees and hoping to do more to retain them.

Eiswerth said the latest salary increases offered by Fayette County’s fire department may have a negative impact on Peachtree City’s staffing.

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Younger man have more power
Submitted by maryadavis on Tue, 05/20/2008 - 7:18pm.

Younger man have more power but also less expertise. I prefer to see some middle-aged man that have been in similar situations and don't lose their cool easily instead of frightened young man. Hell, even my flood damage repair guy is 60 and he can barely bend anymore but still I call him even if the work takes three times more time than it would for a younger guy. At least my old repair man knows all the ways to make a house look like new.

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The beginning of the decline in public safety
Submitted by Jones on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 8:21am.

PTC is at the point where we've to recruit inexperienced kids fresh out of school at low wages just to put warm bodies in vacant positions. Get them to "opt" out of health insurance and the city saves a wee bit more.

Our ship has run hard a-ground.

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No Police Health Insurance!
Submitted by sageadvice on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 1:09pm.

Police trying to live on what we pay them isn't going to resolve the budget problem. And, if we let them take their deduction for health insurance to live on many, many will, whether their wife has family insurance or not! They need it for bills!
You don't want a police force, maybe half of which has no health insurance.

I don't think that I have ever heard of such a dumb idea, and I feel it is strictly a threat, so as to raise taxes and use that as an excuse.

If you can't find the money to run the town without cutting police pay and benefits, when they make so little now, then we need some more managers of better quality. Maybe Town officials also.

Fact is we are in a recession which means that the town has no more right to keep spending at the same rate as before than I do.

Cut it somewhere else! We need some money to keep also!

Want me to come tell you how?

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Good Point sageadvice
Submitted by skyspy on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 9:23am.

No wonder no cop wants to work here. Not only are the starting salaries the lowest in the metro area, they have to pay more for health benefits if they want them. That started last year when they made all city employees pay more out of pocket for health insurance.

The easiest thing to do would be to cut the city managers salary to 60,000 a year. He isn't worth 110,000. Also if he has health insurance from his wifes company he can get a little extra by opting out of our city health insurance policy. Seems fair.

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Police should get top dollar for protecting us!!!!
Submitted by dustdemon on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 7:23pm.

If I were a police officer of PTC I would find another job. The pay cuts/insurance and as few officers on the streets today bother me because there is not enough to keep us safe.

We as a community need to get them what they need to do their jobs. They are human just like we are and they have families too. Without insurance and the money to sustain a healthy lifestyle they cannot perform as well.

We all have families and we all have obligations but give them something in return, please... They have been keeping us safe and out of harms way.

I don't want to forget Peachtree City Fire department either. They have been at the brunt of this as well.

The council needs to raise the pay of all officials as well as the benefits program to secure a healthy and strong team for PTC.

I hope this reaches all of fayette county in hopes to raise awareness. All of them have been there to help me on a moments notice with much professionalism and I must say they deserve this in its entirety.

To all who serve in Fayette County, THANK YOU!!!

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