Brunswick has one of the best-trained fire departments in Georgia, but the city’s firefighters might also be considered among the hardest working crews in the state.
But with the department short-handed by more than a dozen firefighters, it is not like they have any choice right now, Brunswick Fire Chief Randy Mobley said. The standard firefighter shift of 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off has been reversed for many in the city fire department, Mobley said. And some firefighters have spent as much as four straight days on duty in one of the city’s two fire stations — the main station at 1201 Gloucester St. and the second station at 3129 4th St.
“Our overtime budget is through the roof,” Mobley said. “Some of our firefighters are putting in 220 hours every two weeks. We have guys working double shifts to keep us covered.”
The city fire department is budgeted for 42 firefighters, but it was down to 28 firefighters as of Friday, Mobley said. Mobley is accustomed to struggles with numbers, but the current shortage is unprecedented, he said.
“This is the lowest it’s been in the 40 years I’ve been here,” Mobley said.
As in the past years, the department is losing firefighters to higher paying agencies, Mobley said. Many go next door to the higher-paying Glynn County Fire Department, he said. Others leave for departments elsewhere in the state.
“I usually do an exit interview and about 90 percent are leaving for higher pay,” Mobley said.
Brunswick’s long-time fire chief places a high premium on training, even maintaining a “burn building” and training facility on property behind the Fourth Street station. Brunswick’s fire department is among only 94 departments nationwide and just a handful in Georgia that maintains a Class 1 Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating.
“The Brunswick Fire Department is known statewide for our training regimen, so they pick on us fairly easily,” Mobley said.
The retention problem has increased this year, which follows two strenuous years for first responders everywhere amid the COVID-19 crises. In response, many municipalities and government agencies have recently upped salaries, offered bonuses and increased benefits to attract and retain workers.
“The exodus really started picking up when other departments started putting out pretty good raises,” Mobley said.
Veteran city firefighters have been among those leaving for greener pastures, he said.
“The experience is down right now because of the massive turnover,” Mobley said. “The experience does make a difference. We have a great crew now, but putting a rookie firefighter behind the wheel of a 50,000-pound fire truck at 2 a.m. while running lights and sirens to an emergency call is not an ideal situation.”
Starting pay at the Brunswick Fire Department is a little more than $33,000 for uncertified firefighters and a little more than $35,000 for certified firefighters, Mobley said. He is working with city manager Regina McDuffie on a plan to give firefighters a $3 per hour raise all around. Similar to the plan being considered to increase pay for city police officers, the firefighters’ raises would not affect the overall city budget, Mobley said.
The money would come from eliminating budgeted positions in the fire department and using the excess funds to increase the pay of all firefighters, Mobley said. Since the department has hardly ever attained its full complement of 42 firefighters, increased pay for existing firefighters is a better use of the money, he said.
Considering the overtime being paid, and the money spent on firefighters who are then lost to competing departments, Mobley thinks it is a good plan.
“I feel like it will save the city money,” Mobley said. “It would cut personnel. We wouldn’t look to hire the full 42, but something more like 36. It shouldn’t cost the city any more money because it is already budgeted. It’s a win-win.”
In the meantime, Mobley said, residents can rest assured that the highly trained men and women of the Brunswick Fire Department are giving their utmost to serve the city.
“Morale has still been up, although this shortage creates the potential to hurt morale,” Mobley said. “But we have a great group of firefighters, who are dedicated and motivated and pretty happy in general. But they have been putting in some long hours. They’re tired.”