Amador County – The Ione City Council held a special workshop on paying city fire department personnel last week, and directed staff to implement an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. paid shift that will give daytime coverage 7 days a week. City Manager Kim Kerr said she received board direction at the meeting Monday (April 12th) to keep moving forward with a salary and benefits package, which she will try to bring to the council for its May 4th meeting. Kerr said effective June 1, Ione will have an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. day shift, Sunday through Saturday, for paid firefighter coverage. Kerr said it will include a stipend for the firefighters, who will be able to work and see if they like the shifts, and it will give the city 8-5 coverage 7 days a week. She said they must work the 8-5 shift, and will be paid for 8-hour days. Staff is also working to finalize a retirement package for the firefighters. For staffing, they will be bringing in fire engineers, so they can operate the machinery. The jobs will be 40 hours a week, and shifts will overlap so that they will have 2 people working on Sundays. The council and staff were not sure about nighttime coverage, and Kerr said they “may institute a sleeper” position. The Ione Fire Department already has nighttime coverage, with captains and above always on duty and always within a 5-mile radius. The Ione department now pays stipends to firefighters ranked captains and above, who are on duty 24 hours within 5 miles of town. Captains and above get paid a monthly stipend. 3 council members attended last Monday’s meeting and in a consensus gave Kerr direction to work on the salary and benefits package. Kerr said she hopes to bring the salaries and benefits to the city council for its May 4th meeting. About 10 people attended the meeting, including board members of the Jackson Valley Fire District, who were looking to see what Ione is doing, as they decide what they will do. Fire Chief Ken Mackey and Kerr presented information to the council. Ione has received more than $210,000 for the past year from the statewide Proposition 172 and the county-wide Measure M, both ½-cent sales taxes. Kerr was “not recommending 100 percent staffing or spending 100 percent of the revenues” due to volatility in sales tax. Ione Fire staff includes a Fire Chief, an Assistant Fire Chief, 7 Captains, and 26 fire fighters/engineers, plus support staff. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -
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Amador County – The Ione City Council held a special workshop on paying city fire department personnel last week, and directed staff to implement an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. paid shift that will give daytime coverage 7 days a week. City Manager Kim Kerr said she received board direction at the meeting Monday (April 12th) to keep moving forward with a salary and benefits package, which she will try to bring to the council for its May 4th meeting. Kerr said effective June 1, Ione will have an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. day shift, Sunday through Saturday, for paid firefighter coverage. Kerr said it will include a stipend for the firefighters, who will be able to work and see if they like the shifts, and it will give the city 8-5 coverage 7 days a week. She said they must work the 8-5 shift, and will be paid for 8-hour days. Staff is also working to finalize a retirement package for the firefighters. For staffing, they will be bringing in fire engineers, so they can operate the machinery. The jobs will be 40 hours a week, and shifts will overlap so that they will have 2 people working on Sundays. The council and staff were not sure about nighttime coverage, and Kerr said they “may institute a sleeper” position. The Ione Fire Department already has nighttime coverage, with captains and above always on duty and always within a 5-mile radius. The Ione department now pays stipends to firefighters ranked captains and above, who are on duty 24 hours within 5 miles of town. Captains and above get paid a monthly stipend. 3 council members attended last Monday’s meeting and in a consensus gave Kerr direction to work on the salary and benefits package. Kerr said she hopes to bring the salaries and benefits to the city council for its May 4th meeting. About 10 people attended the meeting, including board members of the Jackson Valley Fire District, who were looking to see what Ione is doing, as they decide what they will do. Fire Chief Ken Mackey and Kerr presented information to the council. Ione has received more than $210,000 for the past year from the statewide Proposition 172 and the county-wide Measure M, both ½-cent sales taxes. Kerr was “not recommending 100 percent staffing or spending 100 percent of the revenues” due to volatility in sales tax. Ione Fire staff includes a Fire Chief, an Assistant Fire Chief, 7 Captains, and 26 fire fighters/engineers, plus support staff. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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