Tallahassee firefighters blast city leaders, step down over pay raise, contract dispute

Three firefighters stepped down from the Tallahassee Fire Department over the last week, with two publicly blaming city politics and low pay for their departures.

In social media announcements posted on their personal pages, the heavy-hearted firemen said their "backs were against the wall" and they were unable to support their families on their current salaries.

The departures come as the firefighters union and the city find themselves locked in an acrimonious contract negotiations process that has dragged on for about a year.

"I loved serving this city - My hometown," Corey Frazier said Sunday night in a Facebook post. "Working for this department was my dream. To see the current condition of the department I love so much is heartbreaking, and so is walking away."

Frazier worked at TFD for 10 years, but he said "the lack of respect from the city administration, and the continued pushing of an agenda against the men and women of TFD is the sole reason for my leaving."

It is "embarrassing" to work full time as a firefighter and not be able to support his family, he said.

In a prepared statement, Fire Chief Gene Sanders did not address the firefighters' criticism but hailed their years of service.

"These three firefighters were excellent employees, dedicated to serving both the government and the community during their time with the Tallahassee Fire Department," Fire Chief Gene Sanders said in a statement. "While their departure will impact the department, we want this community to know that the men and women of the Tallahassee Fire Department remain fully committed to fulfilling the department’s mission in providing for the safety and welfare of our community and our members through prevention, preparation, and protection."

A string of departures at the Tallahassee Fire Department as negotiations drag on

The city and the Tallahassee Professional Firefighters Association, TFD's labor union, have been locked for a year in contract negotiations over a pay raise, and there seems to be no end in sight.

Meanwhile, the impasse is brewing as a 2024 elections issue that has further split the bitterly divided city commission with Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter publicly advocating on behalf of the firefighters. Matlow, in particular, has blasted the majority faction of the commission saying they are creating a "toxic culture" at City Hall and are "running the city into the ground."

"The only recourse people have left is at the polls," he wrote on X over the weekend. "While these are truly dark times in Tallahassee, I believe brighter days are ahead.

According to the City of Tallahassee website, firefighters" annual salaries range from $44,177.71 to $70,729.93 with an average of $56,510.46. Engineers' salaries range from $54,501.17 to $74,588.61 with an average of $64,086.13. Lieutenants' and specialists' salaries range from $66,407.92 to $87,388.27 with an average of $76,487.19.

Mayor John Dailey urged the firefighters union during the last city commission meeting to take the city's offer to a vote, which landed on a 8.6% increase for employees at a firefighter rank and lower increases for subsequent ranks.

"I think that is a great place for us to be right now," Dailey said. "I have complete confidence in the process and I know that we will come to a resolution."

Over the last seven months, the fire department has lost roughly one employee a month directly related to ongoing pay negotiation issues, said Joey Davis, the president of the firefighters' labor union. TFD has even lost two sons of former fire chief-level officers.

"That's extremely rare," Davis said.

Firefighters last words before leaving: 'Sacrificed my body and soul'

T.J. Roche, a second firefighter who resigned last week and who worked at TFD over four years, also said the ongoing contract battle is where his "grievances lie," and his resignation isn't because of the department itself.

"The decision to leave my hometown, family, friends and a department I have grown to love and appreciate was gut wrenching, yet the choice I made for my family and my future was effortless," Roche said Saturday in a Facebook post.

Roche and Frazier follow another colleague who left TFD earlier this month. He also criticized the city for focusing on politics instead of the people.

"I've sacrificed my body and soul for my family and this profession," Dan Pruitt said in a social media post. "Cherry on top, our city and leadership has made this decision very easy with their recent actions."

Davis said losing "extremely well-respected workers within the city" is a pressing reminder of where they are at as a department.

The name of the third firefighter to resign last week is unknown. Davis told the Tallahassee Democrat that he didn't know his reasons for stepping down, but that he is switching to a different fire department. He was just hired a few months ago, Davis said.

Several others before him have chosen to continue pursuing the career they love, just not in the home they love.

Cities like Gainesville are getting ready to open up spots for a large hiring class, and Davis said they are concerned that as other departments keep hiring in large waves, they will continue to lose more and more of their men and women.

Others leaving TFD have applied to work for the city's utility department because they can make more money there.

"It's just a constant drip drip of losing people due to these issues, due to the city not being competitive and, to be quite frank, not even recognizing that they need to be competitive," Davis said.

The consistent resignations increase the amount of overtime the remaining employees are required to work, putting a huge strain on them, he said.

"To the firefighters in Tallahassee - keep fighting," Frazier wrote in his farewell message. "I’ll now root for you from the outside."

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee firefighters quit amid ongoing pay, union contract talks