South Carolina Firefighter’s Union Pushes for Better Pay for Local Firefighters

The union that represents firefighters from the James Island Public Service District’s, Fire and Rescue Department is renewing its plea for higher firefighter pay. The James Island Public Service District, which is a special Public Service District located on the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina, provides sewer, trash, and fire and rescue services to around 10,000 homes on James Island. The James Island Public Service District’s Fire and Rescue Department operates out of 4 stations with 14 personnel on duty at any given time.

According to union officials the starting pay for the Public Service District’s firefighters is around $37,000 annually. The district’s webpage advertises starting firefighter/recruit pay at $13.83 per hour. The same webpage advertises lateral firefighter job opportunities at a starting hourly rate of between $12.54 and $16.73 per hour. According to union officials, the department currently has nine vacancies, which is creating an “unsafe” amount of overtime. Union officials cite the low pay as a reason for the vacancies. City officials acknowledge the need to higher pay for all district employees, however funding the additional pay is a challenge due to the island’s limited tax base.

Here is more on the story from Live 5 News.