Wheaton firefighter overtime is still a problem

Overtime pay for Wheaton firefighters is such a chronic problem that the city will beef up the department and still end up paying more than $300,000 for extra hours worked next fiscal year.

The problem is an old one for the city. Two years ago, a Daily Herald investigation showed seven Wheaton firefighters logged so much overtime they earned more money than their boss, Chief Greg Berk.

Following that, injuries and illness in the department caused the city to pay out $550,000 in overtime to the fire department staff in just the first six months of the current fiscal year. That was the department's entire overtime allotment for the year.

In November, City Manager Don Rose said he wasn't concerned about firefighters working too much. Monday night, both Rose and Berk conceded that they now are concerned about all the hours logged.

The problem stems from staffing levels in the department. Right now, every time a firefighter or captain takes a vacation or sick day, or otherwise doesn't work his or her assigned shift, another firefighter or captain must be paid overtime to fill the shift. During injuries or illnesses, the hours and pay quickly rack up.

Up to now, the city has balked at adding staff because it's cheaper to pay the overtime than it is to hire more people.

A new twist adds to the problem. Berk re-organized the department in the last fiscal year, doing away with battalion chiefs in favor of a deputy chief and captains. Shortly after, the three captains unexpectedly joined the union. That's made the staffing and overtime situation even worse, city staff said. The new budget pencils in $110,000 in overtime for the three captain slots alone.

The short-term answer in the new budget calls for hiring three new firefighters. Rose said it may only be a temporary solution. In a few years, Rose said, the new firefighters will have benefits and time off that puts the city back in the same overtime situation as before, if not worse.

Berk agreed that the city is in a bad spot either way.

"You're going to pay the piper one way or the other," Berk said. "You're going to pay the piper in salary, or you're going to pay the piper in overtime costs."

City council members voiced their distress that hiring new staff will exacerbate the city's money problems. Adding to that is the fact that fire department employees have worked without a contract since May.

"I'm just concerned that we've tried this in the past," Councilman Howard Levine said of adding firefighters. "I'm very concerned that this isn't going to solve our problem."

Rose agreed it's not a perfect solution.

"It would be cheaper not to hire anybody," Rose said. "But we're getting to the point where our current workers are working too many hours for their well-being, for our residents' well-being. But I wouldn't sit here and say that this is a cost-saving measure."