MAUMEE, Ohio — The city of Maumee will now have round-the-clock firefighter and paramedic coverage, in addition to more full-time staff members, following a collective bargaining agreement with the firefighters' association.
In a press release issued Tuesday, the city said the agreement was tentatively signed by the city and members of the International Association of Firefighters Local 4546 (IAFF) on June 27, then approved by city council on July 2 during a special meeting.
The agreement will allow for round-the-clock paramedic and firefighter coverage in the city of Maumee, which previously only allowed for a staff of full-time paramedics and volunteer firefighters. The volunteer model paid firefighters for every call they answered either from home or at another employment location, according to the press release.
Additionally, the new agreement will allow for the hiring of at least nine new full-time firefighters and paramedics to the staff, the city said.
The coverage will be supported by the 5.6-mill levy voters passed in November. According to the city, the levy will generate $2.9 million for the city specifically for fire division staffing, with the average monthly cost per $100K home value would be about $16.
The levy was put on the ballot after the city's fire division said there were simply not enough firefighters and paramedics to meet the number of calls coming in. According to the Lucas County Board of Elections website, the levy passed with 3,136 votes for it, and 2,499 votes against it.
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Collective bargaining began in November following the levy's passage; among the challenges over the following eight months of negotiation included determining a pension system, the city said in the press release.
Both the city and its firefighting association said they were pleased with the outcome.
"This agreement is an example of how labor and management can come together in an effort to provide better services to our residents," city administrator Patrick Burtch said in the press release. "The complicated nature of changing to a round-the-clock service should never be understated and I am proud of the professional manner in which the men and women of the Maumee Fire Division and representatives of the IAFF local negotiated in good faith."
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Sam Johnson, a firefighter and paramedic who is president of Local 4536, expressed in the press release the division's gratitude to Maumee residents for their support.
"The citizens will soon see their hard-earned tax dollars funding the full-time department they voted for by hiring additional firefighters/paramedics to increase staffing numbers," Johnson said. "The union is honored to have your support moving forward and will continue to maintain the highest standard of care for our residents."
The three-year agreement will take effect in January 2025, the city said.
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