Firefighters blast county over wages, working conditions
EL CENTRO – County firefighters gave the Board of Supervisors an earful at Tuesday’s board meeting alleging poor pay and working conditions have led to understaffing and high turnover that puts themselves and the public at risk.
“Due to the lack of fair wages, there has been a mass exodus and minimal interest of employment (with county fire),” fire Capt. Marvin Centeno, president of the Firefighters Association, said during the meeting’s public comment segment. “We can’t tolerate this situation anymore. Sadly, this situation is headed toward us doing the bare minimum.”
The shortage of firefighters means instead of two 24-hour shifts a week, crew members are working 72 hours weekly or more.
“We cannot be forced to work day after day after day,” Centeno said, noting at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak “some of us were working up to two weeks straight.”
Added fire Capt. Rodney Fischer, “We cannot provide the level of service. The department is severely understaffed, overworked and grossly underpaid. You all have failed us and the citizens of the county. But, rest assured, we will show up, put on our uniforms and answer the call.”
However, their pleas did not go unheeded.
“You’re not dollar signs,” board Chairman Jesus Eduardo Escobar said after Centeno spoke. “You will be delivered a fair and equitable proposal in the coming days.”
Later in the meeting, after another firefighter spoke, Escobar added, “If we had been more proactive, you would not have felt these pressures. I think COVID was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We’ll be moving forward in a much more equitable manner in the short term.”
Centeno said years of inadequate pay has caused the current situation when gradual increases would have solved the problem. Since the entry-level salary for a firefighter is below minimum wage, new recruits must start at step B, he added.
In addition, one-third of the county’s fire crews, reserves, have no say in labor matters, and Centeno said the fight is for them as well.
“They are doing the only thing they can: leaving for other departments where they are valued,” he said.
The reserves earn minimum wage.
Capt. Daniel Martinez said he was speaking to provide the board some numbers. The agency is 65 percent staffed, a situation made worse because it must cover the nine positions at the Salton City volunteer department that dissolved