UPDATED WITH SALARY ORDINANCE FOR FIREFIGHTERS

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 14, 2025) (CNBNews) — To enhance public safety, Gloucester City Mayor Dayl Baile and the City Council enlisted the Smith Consulting Group from Ocean City, NJ, in 2024 to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Gloucester City paid fire department. James P. Smith Jr., a Fire Chief with three decades of firefighting experience, currently oversees 67 firefighters in Ocean City.

The study culminated in a 14-page evaluation obtained from interviews with all 22 department members. The discussions uncovered a wealth of information, highlighting the firefighters’ concerns, aspirations, and ideas for future growth.

The evaluator’s observations reveal a need for consistent enforcement of discipline within the ranks. It became evident that department officers require robust training to effectively address infractions and foster a culture of accountability. The report highlighted that nine members—an unsettling 40 percent—have left the department over the past 11 years, signaling deeper issues that demand urgent attention.

In his report, Smith mentions that the pay for firemen is too low..."The salary structure within the fire department shows that is below market for the surrounding area. A concern is that the combination of the salary differential and the current culture may see candidates view the GCFD as a stepping stone into other fire departments. Two GCFD firefighters left the department recently to join the Camden City Fire Department. Hopefully, this is not the beginning of a trend. A serious look at the starting salary may need to occur to remain competitive for future hires."

Smith also wrote that the salary for a Fire Chief in the Gloucester City Fire Department is also too low. And, the report states that the fire department and local residents of this city are being hurt by continuing the practice to hire only City residents to be firefighters. 

The Smith Evaluation of the Gloucester City Fire Department was made public following an OPRA request by CNBNews.

DISCIPLINE

1: The department should receive training from a legal expert in managing disciplinary issues in the fire service. All members must understand what is deemed harassment, unacceptable acts, and the value of respect towards peers. The current culture in the department is disappointing, and for many members, it is seemingly void of respect towards their peers.

2:The department must create a set of rules and regulations that is a guide for the department's rules and acceptable actions and behaviors.

TRAINING

3: Return to basics for training. If a member needs more time to become proficient in a certain skill, they should receive the proper time and instruction.

4: Organizing training with Camden City for hazardous materials and special operations is important. A better understanding of who is responding for the GCFD crew when in Camden is necessary. Once the crew is done with training in Camden, they should return to the city immediately.

5: Provide prior knowledge to the shift that training will be upcoming.

6: The department should invest in a records management program to log and record all training.

STAFFING AND OVERTIME

7: Consider a schedule change from a four-platoon system to a three-platoon system. This will require a negotiation with the unions. It is more efficient and will provide the extra staffing that the members requested.

8. Carrying vacation time from year to year should stop. This would eliminate the uncertainty of how many shifts the chief needs to cover in any given year.

9. If a three-platoon system is enacted, vacation slots should be limited to just one member daily.

10. Sick time usage in 12 hour-blocks should stop. Members may be capable of returning to work in less time but are forced to stay out for a full 12.

THE UNIONS AND THE COMMUNITY

11. Consider merging the two labor unions for the betterment of the department and the community.

12. Consider starting a Community Risk Reduction program to assist the citizens of Gloucester City before emergencies happen.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF POSITION

13. Establish the civil service rank of deputy chief and promote an officer who shows strong qualities of a future department chief. The newly created deputy chief rank salary should minimally be the current fire chief salary.

MUTUAL AID

14. The GCFD must reestablish relationships with their mutual aid partners. Training needs to occur with more than just Camden City.

CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP

15. The entire department should receive leadership training.

16. The department should rebrand itself. Have a fresh start and place the hostile acts and behaviors in the past.

17.  Some sensitivity training needs to occur. The stories from the interviews are disappointing. The members need to be informed of what is unacceptable behavior.

18. Once the local civil service entrance list is exhausted, consider hiring firefighters from the county list.

THE FIRE CHIEF POSITION

19. The fire chief salary needs to be raised to attract the best and the brightest to the position.

20. Consideration should be made around Chief Hagan’s retirement that an outside individual hired as a department head may be better than just promoting someone internally to the fire position. Patience is vital to finding the right person. Internal or external pressure to fill the position should not be entertained.

Thomas Quinn was appointed Gloucester City Director of the Fire Department on March 1, 2024. Quinn signed a five-year contract with the city, with a starting salary of $145,000 that would rise to $165,000 in his final year. 

Quinn started his career as a Gloucester City Fireman before joining the Camden City Fire Department.

BELOW ARE SOME PAGES FROM THE PRESENTATION

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YES, THEY DESERVE A RAISE; BUT, WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 16, 2025)(CNBNews)--According to ORWELL, a real estate firm that specializes in residential and commercial tax appeals, Gloucester City, NJ, faces a staggering median property tax rate of 3.99%. This figure is higher than the national median of 0.99% and the New Jersey state median of 2.82%. With the average home in Gloucester City valued at $130,909, residents are dealing with an average annual property tax bill of $5,189—nearly double the national median of $2,690.

 

 

According to the attached salary ordinance for firefighters the salary for a firefighter specialist hired prior to September 1, 2013 ranges from a low of $59,167 to a high of $96,797 in Step 6. 

The salary scale for a firefighter specialist hired after September 1, 20213 ranges from a low of $40,550 to a high of $96,795

 

Mr. Smith argues for a raise in salaries for firefighters and fire department officers. He contends that city firefighters should receive pay that matches that of the city's police officers, a proposal that introduces a complex dilemma with no straightforward solution.

 

The governing body seems to forget that Gloucester City is so poor, that the community qualifies to be an Urban Enterprize Zone, (UEZ), one of only 32 in the state. Because the community is so poor it also qualifies to be an ABBOTT school district one of only 31 in New Jersey. The community also has the unwanted distinction of being one of 30 communities in New Jersey with the highest property taxes. Despite having a $30 million subsidy from the state to fund its education system it also earns hundreds of thousands as a UEZ city. Even so, its leaders are unable to operate the city without raising taxes year in and year out. 

 

Many residents are concerned that if local politicians continue to impose excessive tax increases, they may have to choose between paying their property tax bills and affording basic necessities like food and prescription medications. Some worry that it could become increasingly difficult to meet the tax demands necessary to support essential services such as the fire and police departments. 

 

The mayor and council need to prioritize fiscal responsibility to ensure a stable and secure future for all residents in our community, including city employees. February marks the beginning of their work on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Like you, CNBNews hopes that the governing body will consider something new this year, and finds a way to reduce the tax rate instead of increasing it.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The information below is from the Gloucester City Friendly Budget 2022. We have been unable to obtain the 2023 and 2024 Friendly Budgets from the City. 

Based on this information, the personnel cost for the 23 firemen that year was $3,149,259; overtime was $256,545; the pension estimate was $265,252; Health Benefits were $440,585; and Employment Taxes and other expenses were $29,852.

The personnel cost for the 30 policemen in 2022 was $4,282,348; Overtime, $530,258; Pension estimate, 465,852; Health benefits, $440,525; Employment taxes, $45,565.