Get Fired Up, Mobile!!

We are the Mobile Fire Fighters Association (MFFA), and we need you to help us fight for the Mobile Fire Rescue Department!!

 

With 252 active firefighter members, our organization represents the majority of firefighters on MFRD. We work to educate our political leaders about issues facing MFRD. But YOU, as engaged citizens, have the final say on the value that the City of Mobile places in your fire department.

 

Issues facing MFRD:

 

1) Understaffed: Your MFRD does not meet the NFPA 1710 minimum staffing of 4 firefighters per fire truck. Minutes can determine the outcome between saving a life or recovering a victim on the fire scene. When we are not fully staffed, we cannot fight fire as effectively.

 

2) Undercompensated: Your entry-level Firefighter earns $14.27/hr, the lowest hourly rate of any City of Mobile employee. 30 years ago, the strong career path for MFRD meant that we typically selected our recruit classes from more than 1,000 applicants. Earlier this year, we could only fill 38 out of the 49 open positions in our MFRD recruit class due to a lack of qualified applicants. We also continue to face retention issues. MFRD is on pace to lose nearly 10% of our firefighters to resignations this year.

 

3) Undervalued: Public safety employees under the Mobile County Personnel Board have pay parity through state law. Breaking parity has damaged morale and undermined the working relationship between MPD and MFRD. Our Mayor funded the Shift Incentive for Police Officers and Public Safety Dispatchers by utilizing savings in the current MPD budget. MFRD was not offered the same opportunity. Instead, MFRD will return roughly $2,200,000 from our budget, as we have for several years. Those annual savings have helped Mayor Stimpson build a $170,000,000 reserve fund.

 

Why we need your help:

 

1) Parity Protection: We do not want MFRD to become 2nd class responders. We believe that the $5,200 Shift Incentive for MPD violates the Personnel Act, and we have retained the law firm of LD Holt & Associates to fight for our profession.

 

2) Better Emergency Response: The ultimate goal of this GoFundMe campaign is to provide better protection for your family. First, we want to see MFRD recruiting and developing firefighters from a highly competitive applicant pool. Then, we want to retain those high-quality professional firefighters. Finally, we want to meet the NFPA 1710 minimum staffing standard of 4 firefighters on every fire truck, every day!!

 

MFFA