Atlanta mayor pledges pay increases for firefighters during breakfast
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens address Atlanta firefighter during the annual Breakfast with our Bravest event on May 4, 2022. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spoke to a group of firefighters at the Breakfast with our Bravest event on Wednesday morning. The event marks International Firefighter Day.
Men and women of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department attended the event.
The mayor introduced his first budget earlier this week. The mayor said a pay increase for many firefighters in the city was written into it.
"Meeting this commitment isn’t just about keeping good on a commitment the city made to you, of course that’s important to do as well, but making the sure the brave women and men that serve our city as firefighters is a statement of the values of our community," the mayor said.
Mayor Dickens said construction is underway at four fire stations within the city.
He said there are orders in for seven new fire engines and seven new ladder trucks for this year and next.
Earlier this week, Atlanta Fire Union President Nate Bailey told FOX 5 staffing has gotten "dangerously low." At busy stations, firefighter are getting little sleep from working double shifts to keep the firehouse open.
Bailey said a number of the suburban fire departments pay their veteran firefighters more than $70,000 annually. In Atlanta, the top salary is on $55,000.
The fire department's national rating may impact property owners in Atlanta. If the quality of a fire department goes down, decreasing its rating, insurance rates could increase.