Stipend program needed to boost call response

Volunteer firefighters in Peachtree City will get a small stipend for answering each call under a pilot program approved last week by the City Council.

The program was developed as an incentive particularly for younger volunteers in their 20s and 30s, as older volunteers tend to participate for the camaraderie the job provides, said Assistant Fire Chief Ed Eiswerth.

Eiswerth noted that the city expects a lot out of its volunteers training-wise, and many “youngsters” who volunteer here do it to get training so they can get a career fire position at another department.

The younger volunteers told department leadership that a small stipend would help them pay for babysitters, gas and other expenses incurred while responding to calls, Eiswerth said.

Career firefighters are on board with the plan, Eiswerth said.

“They know it can be unsafe with the number of people we have,” Eiswerth said.

The program will cost a maximum of $34,000 as volunteers will be allowed to earn up to $750 during the six-month trial period, Eiswerth said. The city’s goal is to average between three and four volunteer firefighters at each call.

The pay per call will range from $5.42 to $13.54, based on the volunteer’s level of training. The maximum amount would only be paid to a volunteer acting as a fire officer or as a paramedic on the scene.

Volunteer firefighters are required to train for 10 hours a month, Eiswerth said.

Last year, only three volunteers responded to 100 calls, with most volunteers responding to between 48 and 60 calls, Eiswerth said. Some volunteers, however, choose to work entire shifts at station houses, he added.

The pilot program will be far cheaper than adding two firefighters to each shift, which works out to about $344,000 a year, officials said.

The money will come from the City Council’s contingency fund, but Councilman Stuart Kourajian said if the program is a success he wants to see it funded out of the fire department’s budget in the coming fiscal year.

Eiswerth said if the program is successful he may recommend raising the cap on the stipend, but he’s not sure if the program will work.

“For those who are doing more, I want to give them more,” Eiswerth said.

Mayor Harold Logsdon requested a report on the program after the first three months.

All volunteers must attain at least National Professional Qualification (NPQ) Firefighter I and NPQ Hazardous Materials Awareness before they are accepted as firefighters within the Department. The must also pass the Georgia State Physical Agility Test.

Following NPQ Firefighter I, the new firefighters then proceed on to train as a National Registry First Responder or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate. After a firefighter gains experience they then go through a NPQ Firefighter II class.

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