Fire chief hopes pay raise will draw more to call company
A number of factors have led to dwindling membership, but the paid volunteers play a vital role in public safety, Chief Andrew Turcotte says.
Share
WESTBROOK Fire Chief Andrew Turcotte hopes a pay raise will pull in more applicants to the call company to boost dwindling membership.
The City Council last week gave preliminary approval to a $1 an hour pay raise for call company members, bringing rates to $13-$14 an hour for applicants without training and $15-16 for those with training.
Turcotte said his goal with the pay increase is to keep the hiring competitive and retain the paid volunteers. Over the past few decades, call company membership has fallen from over 100, with a waiting list of those wanting to volunteer, to roughly 15 now, he said. He’d like to have at least 20 call members on the roster.