SWANSEA, MA — Fire Chief Eric Hajder, joined by Deputy Chief Michael Patterson, came before the Advisory and Finance Board with a plan that would help recruit and retain firefighters.
Chief Hajder called the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters the most pressing issue facing the department. He pointed out that in 1998, the department had 112 members and by 2018 that had reduced to 78. The current number is 72 members. While the number of firefighters was decreasing, the number of responses have increased. He noted that in 1998 when the department had 112 members, they had 368 responses. In 2018, when the department was down to 78 firefighters, they had 548 responses.
The chief noted that they were losing on average, three firefighters per year, most to retirement or leaving town. Chief Hajder noted that the training, calls at a moments notice and other commitments have discouraged some from joining the volunteer department. The firefighters are only paid to fight brush fires which are few and far between.
In his report to the A&F Board Wednesday evening, Chief Hajder noted that "when polled anonymously, most firefighters indicated that their commitment of time to volunteer work was meaningful but when competing with work and family obligations, their time has significant worth."
To stem the tide of attrition, former Chief Peter Burke worked to produce a tax incentive program. Under that program, a firefighter who meets the criteria for hours of training and responding to calls, could receive a tax benefit of up to $2,500 a year.
Chief Hajder noted that since the inception of the tax incentive in 2012, 210 members have received tax abatements totaling $278,550. The least number of firefighters who qualified for the incentive came in 2013 when 24 received the abatement. The high was in 2018 when 35 firefighters qualified.
The chief noted that the tax incentive did have some drawbacks. One was that a firefighter who did not own property in town could not receive the abatement directly. They could receive credits in other ways, including excise tax.
He added that the incentive ends when a firefighter retires and that they receive a $2,500 hit on their tax bill.
The chief is proposing two programs, one an annual incentive and the other a pension payment. The two plans would be contingent on a firefighter meeting obligations similar to the tax incentive.
The annual incentive would be a point system where a firefighter would be credited for services rendered.
The Length of Service Award (LOSAP), would officer financial rewards based on a career with a number of years of service. Criteria would include completion of recruit school and remaining an active firefighter, training to the Hazardous Material Operational level, maintain minimum medical training to level of first responder, attendance at a minimum number of training sessions per year, completion of CORE competency training annually and attendance at a set number of emergency responses per year.
Chief Hajder did not put a dollar figure on the plan but did note that he would be asking for a sum for fiscal year 2021 at the May Town Meeting. The remainder would be sought for fiscal year 2022 during the May 2021 Town Meeting. He pointed out that the time to act was now since these programs take time to evolve.
The chief noted that a committee of approximately 14 members of the department worked to come up with the plan. Chief Hajder noted that the committee included members of all four station houses. They included young an older firefighters as well as officers.
He plans to present figures to the Board of Selectmen.
His report also included a statement regarding thoughts on the eventuality of a new Fire Station I (Main Street). He notes that the current facilities lack appropriate administrative space as well as adequate meeting and tring areas. The current station was built in 1966 and has septic issues as well as handicapped accessibility, parking and storage restrictions. The lack of female shower facilities combined with apparatus bays that will no longer accommodate newer apparatus were other issues.
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