Fire Unions Accept Less to Better Department

It's typically uncommon that an entire department of people is willing to take less compensation for the greater good of the team.

But the team at Collingswood Fire Department and EMS is far from typical.

At Monday night's commission meeting, officials said a new contract between the borough and its two local firefighter's unions had finally been agreed upon. 

"We've reached an agreement with the fire department and EMS—a one-year contract with no (salary) increase, with (firefighters agreeing to) concessions amounting to roughly $1,000 per person," Mayor James Maley said Monday night. "This allows us to accept a federal grant that (provides funding) over the next three years to re-hire three laid off positions we'd (previously) made in the fire department. Because our firefighters (agreed to contract concessions), we were able to accept this grant."

And three firefighters have already been added to the fire department, thanks to grant funding, bringing the current fire and EMS staff from 14 to 17.

Collingswood's grant—a $377,917 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program—was announced publicly this past January, in a press release from U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

Since the announcement, though, the borough's chances of actually receiving the grant looked more and more slim—because of the grant's terms.

Grant funds must be used to re-hire three laid-off positions—in an effort to offset three lay-offs Collingswood had to make in April of last year. If the exact same three individuals agreed to return under the grant, their salaries and benefits would be paid-for with federal grant funds for two years. Grant terms require that the borough pay these individuals' salaries in the third year.

But if one or more of Collingswood's three laid off firefighters chose not to return under the grant, new hires could be made—under one condition. Two-year federal funding would also apply, but when two years are up, Collingswood Fire Department can choose whether or not to keep new firefighters on board.

Both terms presented Collingswood with a big unknown. Third-year funding would depend on the borough's future financial situation.

After realizing they might not be able to accept nearly $400,000 in grant money —a sum that could significantly improve their service to the community—the team decided to sacrifice for a greater good.

"The reason we were able to accept this grant is because of our (firefighter's) union contracts," said Fire Captain Keith Davis, who wrote Collingswood's original grant application. "Our contracts had expired, so we started negotiating (with the borough).

"We agreed on (taking) a zero-percent raise, and a conceded clothing allowance and shift differential—which lowers the rates we normally get for those items," said Davis. "So our firefighters gave up a couple thousand dollars each."

Both the Fire Officer's Union and the Firefighter's Union agreed to terms—with every fire department employee in full support of the sacrifice. The one-year fire contracts expire in January 2012. 

But contract concessions aren't the only change fire officials have made. To ensure all three firefighters keep their jobs when the grant expires, they've been hired in at salaries lower than the normal rate. According to Davis, all three grant-funded employees will make $8,000 less per year than the standard salary.

But that's fine with Collingswood's three newest firefighters—Melanie Pierce, Russell Nagle and Julian D'Alonzo—who are delighted to have a job at all.

Of the three, Nagle and Pierce are former Collingswood firefighters, and among the three laid off last April. Neither had found a new job since, and were happy to return with the same seniority as before. 

The same day commissioners announced the grant publicly, Pierce arrived at the fire house for her first shift back. Nagle will start at the end of the month.

But the third firefighter who'd been laid off, said Captain Davis, had already found work in Ocean City and declined the offer. 

D'Alonzo is the only new hire under Collingswood's grant. He spent a year-and-a-half working part-time for the department before last year's lay-offs, but this is his first full-time position. 

"I got the news the day after St. Baldrick's Day, on March 21," said D'Alonzo Tuesday, his first day on the job. "They called me to come in and offered me the job. I'm so excited. This is the job of a lifetime, so hopefully the grant will be extended."

"Excited" only mildly describes D'Alonzo's emotions. For his first shift as a full-time firefighter, he arrived at 7:10 a.m.—although clearly instructed to arrive at 8 a.m.—bearing a homemade breakfast of sausage, egg and cheese casserole for his new co-workers. 

"Yeah, I brought breakfast," D'Alonzo said, shrugging off a smile. "I've brought tacos for dinner, too."

The blissful notion of getting two homemade meals in one day brought laughter from a group of firefighters who'd gathered around D'Alonzo. But the loudest laughter of all came from the chief—whose planned December 31, 2011, retirement can now come as a comfort, knowing there's more manpower behind Collingswood. 

"This grant will bring us back to our minimum, as far as where we should be. We'll be able to provide services we used to, start back up with fire prevention education in the schools. It'll be safer for firefighters responding to incidents, and for the residents of this town," said Fire Chief John Amet. "All this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the men in this fire department. I have to congratulate them for stepping up to the plate and making this happen."