WILMINGTON -- Low pay, not enough training and an out of touch administration. Those are just a few of the concerns voiced by Wilmington firefighters Thursday night about their own department. By speaking out they hope to improve things inside the Wilmington Fire Department.
Firefighters who spoke at the forum said they love what they do and they love the city they work in, but they don't feel good with the way the fire department is going.
Wilmington City Council hired a consultant to take a thorough look at the fire department. Those consultants heard from several firefighters Thursday night.
They talked about high-ranking members of the department retaliating against employees who speak out about problems.
Some Wilmington residents also brought concerns to the table.
"You hear grumblings. I know some firefighters ... you know, it's all kept under the rug," one resident told the consultants.
"We ask a lot of these men and women and they expose themselves to possible injury or worse every time they report to work. How can we not adequately compensate them for what they do for us everyday,"another resident asked.
Those who showed up at the two forums this weekwant to make sure the consultant's final report gets into the hands of city leaders. They said that's one way for positive change to happen.
From here Emergency Services Consulting will look over the information from these public forums, as well as about a hundred one-on-one interviews with firefighters. They say to expect their report and recommendations in a few months.
