C i t y o f Ce d a r Fa l l s • O u r c i t i ze n s a re o u r b u s i n e s s
SPECIAL EDITION • PUBLIC SAFETY
CURRENTS CURRENTS MAYOR’S MESSAGE
It is a privilege to be sending this special edition of Currents. The details in this mailing provide the facts surrounding the decisions that have resulted in a Public Safety Division and a safer Cedar Falls. Your elected officials take seriously the responsibility to assure your safety despite the pushback from the firefighters union.
On behalf of the City administration, our Public Safety staff and especially the visionary Council Members who have guided this initiative through the last several decades, I thank all the residents of Cedar Falls for your confidence and support.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY MODEL MAKES US SAFER There has been some confusion regarding the continued evolution of Public Safety. There are a few people who seem to think that the continued growth of Public Safety Officer (PSO) ranks and the reduction of full time Firefighter numbers is making Cedar Falls unsafe. NOT TRUE! Cedar Falls has been on the front edge of modernizing municipal operations since the early 1980s. In 1983, this city reorganized and reduced its departmental operations down to five. Over the years the mayors and councils have been determined to hold the line on taxes and spending. By 1987, 30 years ago, police and fire were combined into one Public Safety department. It was the start of what has evolved into a model of modern public safety delivery. PSOs came onboard in 2005. PSOs are not new. Fire union representatives who condemn this PSO model do themselves and every cross-trained PSO and volunteer firefighter in America a grave disservice. Their elitist attitude is insulting. Today the PSOs have assumed their rightful positions as fully cross-trained firefighter police officers. This year, Cedar Falls has 45 trained firefighters of whom 21 are PSOs who have been successfully operating in dual roles for years. Our current 45 fire responders will be joined by 18 more PSOs coming on board in early 2019 to a total of 63 strong. Cedar Falls could not responsibly allow separate Police and Fire Departments to operate without costs escalating beyond control. Such models are unsustainable. The evolving changes to public safety have delivered greater safety, far more efficiency and needed economy. This Public Safety Model puts more personnel on the street to address crime or fire incidents than ever before. Our goal is to have 50% more staff available at all times while controlling costs.
PUBLIC SAFETY
FACTS
City of Cedar Falls 220 Clay Street Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
Postal Customer Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Cedar Falls Full Time Firefighter
ANNUAL CITY COSTS BASE SALARY ������������������������������������������������������������������$61,701.12 LONGEVITY-20 YRS ����������������������������������������������������������� $660.00 EMPLOYER MEDICARE ��������������������������������������������������������$894.67 EMPLOYER MFPRSI (PENSION) �������������������������������������� $16,054.63 EMPLOYER FAMILY HEALTH ������������������������������������������� $13,664.64 LIFE & AD&D INS �����������������������������������������������������������������$208.32 LTD INS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $203.61 WORKER’S COMP ���������������������������������������������������������������� $925.52 ANNUAL PHYSICAL (EST.) �������������������������������������������������� $600.00 UNIFORM (EST.) ����������������������������������������������������������������� $500.00 DUES/MEMBERSHIP �������������������������������������������������������������� $13.00 TRAINING-FF1&HAZMAT CERT ��������������������������������������������� $50.00 $95,475.51 AVERAGE OVERTIME �������������������������������������������������������$12,963.74* (NOTE: LONGEVITY, RANK, REHIRE/ CALL BACK ADDS TO THIS AMOUNT) *BASED ON AN ACTUAL OVERTIME RECORD: Average overtime FY2018 $207,419.67 / 16 FF = $12,963.74/year.
Annual Pension Benefit: 82% of the average of the best three years gross wage. IE: If the outgoing wage is $100,000/yr the benefit for life is $82,000/yr!
TOTAL CITY COST/YR ���������� $108,439.25
ANNUAL DAYS OF WORK �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 120 LESS VACATION DAYS �������������������������������������������������������������������������������(15) LESS HOLIDAYS �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������(13)
ACTUAL WORK DAYS ������������������������������������������������� 92
LESS SICK LEAVE ALLOWANCE ����������������������������������������������������������������(12)
TERMS OF WORK: On 24-hour shift*/Off 48 hours** *On duty: 8 hours work; 8 hours rest & ready; 8 hours sleep. **Off duty: Freedom to own a business or have a 2nd job and/or work overtime.
FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS WORK JUST UNDER 8 DAYS/MONTH.
REDUCING OVERTIME – CUTTING COST
Today, sick leave among full time firefighters is at an all-time high. The result of sick leave taken is that others must cover these shifts, often at overtime ($1,000 - $1,200/person/shift). Expanding the number of Public Safety Emergency Responders will help to significantly reduce the need for overtime pay when PSO/police and/or firefighters are out sick.
AVERAGE SICK LEAVE HOURS
180
170 160 148 140 131
100 80
HOURS
120
60 40 20
26
26
25
25
35
27
23
15 7
0
Sick Leave Hours 2016 Police Officer AVERAGE
Sick Leave Hours 2017 Police Supervisor AVERAGE
Sick Leave Hours 2018 thru 9/21/18 Firefighter AVERAGE
Fire Supervisor AVERAGE