Tallahassee fire pact proposes 42-hour workweek

Tallahassee firefighters could move from a reported 53-hour workweek to 42 hours under a tentative city-county fire-services framework, a change union president J.P. Colin welcomed on Nov. 13. County Commission Chair Christian Caban and Mayor-elect Jeremy Matlow announced the framework a day earlier. It had not been approved as of Nov. 15 and is not in effect.

The proposed schedule pairs 24 hours on duty with 72 hours off. The change would mean 11 fewer work hours a week, a reduction of about 21% from the reported current schedule. Colin said he hoped the union would take part in further discussions, but it had not taken a position on the full framework.

What the proposed agreement would change i

The framework would keep the Tallahassee Fire Department as the fire-services provider for Tallahassee and unincorporated Leon County. It proposes a 20-year agreement, three years’ advance notice for early termination and automatic-aid terms intended to maintain service continuity when the agreement ends or expires.

For oversight, the city would provide annual detailed fire budgets and performance reports, and an independent audit of the fire-services fund. The county could request additional audits. The plan also proposes a reserve equal to 20% to 30% of the annual fire budget.

The proposal would move fire-assessment collection off utility bills, preferably use a square-footage-based model and bill vacant land. It would have the county buy Stations 10 through 15 and lease them back to the city for $1 a year. WTXL reported an estimated purchase price of about $525,000 per station, subject to the existing interlocal agreement. Proposed Station 17 has a target cost ceiling of $20 million.

Reviews are still ahead i

For firefighters, residents and property owners, no schedule, provider or assessment change has taken effect. The cost of implementing the shorter workweek and any effect on assessment rates remain unspecified.

Leon County listed a special Fire Rescue Services meeting for Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. WTXL reported that city commissioners planned to discuss the framework on Nov. 18. Both meetings were still in the future as of Nov. 15, and the framework remained subject to staff and legal review and separate consideration by the city and county commissions.

Researcher Max Epstein described the proposal as a possible starting point but urged more time and upfront cost planning, and raised concerns about how it was developed.