Photograph: Opelousas firefighter Scott Roy discusses a pay raise increase for OFD during a Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Opelousas firefighters are again asking elected city officials to provide enough revenue for annual pay raises and that they say will also elevate the salaries of individuals wanting to join the department.
Lieutenant Scott Roy told the Board of Aldermen Tuesday night that his current pay scale hasn’t changed since he became a fireman 15 years ago.
“Since that time a number of guys have left the department to pursue more pay somewhere else. Right now there is no one applying for jobs to replace those who have left,” Roy said.
At this time Roy said, the Opelousas fire stations are shorthanded and overworked due to the low entrance level salaries and firefighters that he once worked with him have left the city to work for departments in other municipalities.
Roy said firefighters who work in Port Barre, Eunice and Carencro are paid higher wages than those employed in Opelousas.
Daniel Saucier, one of several firefighters who attended the meeting, said beginning firefighters in Opelousas are paid $9.50 an hour. That hourly wage Saucier said provides starting firefighters with $22,000 annually in gross pay.
Roy told the Board that at some Opelousas fast food restaurants, beginning employees are paid $10 an hour.
Fire Chief Richard Joseph told the Board that he and workers in the department plan to make larger presentations than the one made during the Tuesday night meeting.
There was no discussion among members of the Board following the presentation made by Roy and the other firefighters.
Alderman Milton Batiste III said he understands the request made by the firefighters, but Batiste said there is a question of whether the city can afford to provide increases at this time.
“It all comes down to (financial) numbers. This is not the first time that (the fire department) has come to us, but we also have to look at (city finances),” said Batiste.
Roy said having a department that lacks sufficiently trained personnel could eventually lead to the city losing its current fire rating.
“(The city) is on the verge of doing that right now and if something is not done, sooner are later the insurance rates are going to go up. We are coming to you right now because we don’t know what else to do,” Roy added.
