Roswell (GA) Bumps Firefighter Pay 35 Percent

Roswell recently approved a "best-in-class" pay increase for full-time Roswell firefighters. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Karen Huppertz for the AJC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(TNS)

The Roswell City Council recently and unanimously approved a “best-in-class” pay increase for the Roswell Fire Department. This increases compensation for full-time fire staff by more than 35% on average and, according to a city statement, brings “the department’s pay scale up to one of the highest levels in the area.”

The best-in-class pay plan supports the department’s five-year transition from a part-time staffing model to a full-time model and should help the city attract, hire and retain quality employees.

“Our first responders approach each day with unwavering dedication, teamwork and integrity,” said Mayor Kurt Wilson in a statement. “They deserve to be compensated at the highest levels, and we are thrilled to be able to make that happen.”

To determine the new pay scale, the fire department worked with the city’s Human Resources Department to study nearby city department’s pay scales. Under the new plan, a non-certified firefighter recruit will start at $52,124. Previously, that position started at approximately $45,000 in Roswell, with someone in a comparable position in North Fulton starting at about $50,000.

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