Bossier Firefighters Want to Be Treated Fairly
By: Import User
Updated: February 6, 2007
It`s a decision that will impact hundreds of people the Bossier City Council is set to review a base salary increase for 224 police officers, jailers and dispatchers but Bossier Firefighters can`t believe they are being passed up for a $400 a month increase. "We feel like we are being excluded from the pay raise and we really don`t have all the answers. We know crime is the mayor`s focus point right now, but public safety is both. It`s all of us intertwined together," explained Albert Lewis, Bossier Firefighter Union. The city council says the police department is short officers and experiencing difficulties because their salaries are not competitive. "We are only bringing this raise up now because they can`t recruit and I understand from the mayor, that`s not a problem with the fire department," commented Councilman James Rogers, Bossier City District 5. Lewis thinks the firefighters are trapped. "We are probably going to be in opposition of it unless we can get it split. We`d like to see if we can split it for right now and work on bringing both departments up." "If they can come forth with good reason, and where the money is coming from, we`ll probably consider it," said Councilman Rogers. The firefighters know the police deserve more money but they also think they deserve to be recognized. "I am not hopeful I`m in a desperate situation. I`ve got a lot of guys and families depending on us to try and at least get a split.
