Asheville Fire Dept. struggle to retain crews due to pay is impacting emergency response

Asheville Fire Dept. struggle to retain crews due to pay is impacting emergency response

The ongoing struggle

The Asheville Firefighter Association has been dealing with the ongoing issue of high turnover, mainly stemming from pay and retention rates — and that means a staffing shortage. The Asheville fire union is actively seeking solutions to address this pressing issue, but in the meantime, the union’s president said low staffing is impacting the department’s emergency readiness and response capabilities.

Challenges faced

Asheville Fire Department Capt. Welcker Taylor, the president of the Asheville Firefighters Association, expressed the hardship the fire department is facing in keeping up with the cost of living in Asheville. “There are, at times, three trucks out of service. Out of 17 companies that we have in the city, that’s not ideal,” Taylor said. “We work 40% more than other Asheville City employees. What we are asking is the earning pay to 18.25 an hour — that’s the current living wage that’s about to be the old living wage for the city. But that’s a fair place to meet, in the middle.”

Living wage disparity

According to Just Economics, the living wage in Buncombe County is $22.10 an hour, which is the minimum someone working full-time needs to be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the county. Starting firefighters for AFD, in contrast, begin at $15.88 per hour, Taylor said.

Current challenges

“I try to work one overtime every paycheck,” he said, “because that’s the way I make it work for my family to live in Asheville.” Taylor said the fire department is now dealing with a staffing shortage that’s impacting the department’s readiness in an emergency. “Last year, we had 25 people leave the fire department, and 16 of those people were people who quit,” Taylor said. “Just in Buncombe County, we’re losing guys to smaller county fire departments. West Buncombe pays 17% more; Enka-Candler pays 16% more.”

Push for change

The Asheville firefighters union’s latest push for change came during the Asheville City Council meeting on Tuesday night, April 23. That was also the first time a public hearing has been held since an April 9 work session on next year’s budget. The city manager is expected to give a budget proposal presentation at the May 14 Asheville City Council meeting, and a public hearing is currently set for May 28.