HEMET, Calif. (AP) -- The city is considering a $3,000 signing bonus to lure experienced police officers and firefighters to the booming Riverside County community.
The plan would also allow new employees to bring up to 100 hours of sick leave accrued from their previous employer.
''Qualified employees have the opportunity to work anywhere and Hemet will likely be more attractive for them if there were incentives,'' said Cpl. Randy Young, president of the 60-member Hemet Police Officers Association.
Growth, a lack of qualified applicants and homeland security threats have led to a greater demand for experienced public service employees in Hemet. The new city budget created positions for five new police officers and five new firefighters.
Hemet police officers are paid between $4,436 to $5,392 a month, while firefighters receive between $3,989 to $4,849 monthly.
California Employment Development Department projections for 2001 to 2008 show Riverside County needs to increase police hiring 34 percent and firefighter jobs 23.6 percent.
Thomas Flournoy, the state employment department's labor market consultant, said the housing boom could mean even more public service employees will be needed.
''In Southern California, we're experiencing a huge amount of growth, and Hemet is no different from anyone else. It's finding itself in a situation where there are more vacancies than qualified personnel,'' said Jeff Retmier, president of the 54-member Hemet Firefighters Association.
