Pact With Mo. Firefighters Criticized by Citizens, Officials

April 05--CHESTERFIELD -- A new pact with union firefighters in the Monarch Fire Protection District could give them an extra week of paid time off, bumping the benefit to the equivalent of six weeks for those with less than two years experience and 13 weeks for 15-year veterans.

The proposal, which is scheduled to be voted on at 7 p.m. tonight at district headquarters, 13725 Olive Boulevard in Chesterfield, has been criticized by one member of the fire board and the Monarch Concerned Taxpayers Group.

The two other board members and union representatives for the district firefighters could not be reached for comment.

Robin Harris, the fire board director who has been critical of the contract, said he has a number of concerns about pay and benefit changes.

Approximately 105 firefighter/paramedics work in the district. The base pay for those with more than four years experience is approximately $81,000 a year, Harris said. In addition, firefighter/paramedics have a benefit package that includes free medical, dental and eye coverage. No pay increases are proposed in the contract set for a vote.

Two other changes planned for the agreement are already policy in the district, Harris said. They pertain to a practice known as constant manning and another regarding light duty.

According to Harris, constant manning allows the district to pay extra money to an existing employee to fill a vacancy instead of hiring a new one.

The practice initially was thought to be a cost savings because of the benefits costs related to a new hire. But Harris said two studies of the practice since he's been on the board gave different outcomes, so it's not clear whether the practice really saves the district money.

Rick Gans, a fire board member from 1998 to 2011, and now a spokesman for the citizen group, said constant manning was abused by firefighters when it was tried in the past.

Since the overtime is offered to firefighters based on seniority, Gans said the same employees can work the majority of the hours, raising concerns about firefighter fatigue and safety. In addition, it allows firefighters to rack up thousands of dollars, which in one instance amounted to more than the chief's pay, Gans said.

"We also found several employees were selling the time to other employees and making a couple of hundred dollars for not doing any work at all," he said.

Harris said making constant manning part of the formal agreement would make it more difficult to discontinue if abuses come up.

He had the same concern for a light duty practice, which allows firefighters who are injured on or off the job to get full pay for doing office-type work.

"What it boils down to is it's an easily abused program, and I have concerns that we're adding light duty to the agreement," he said.

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