Editor: My name is Ed Broomes, president of Local 2266 representing the fire departments of the cities of Gulfport, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach.
At this time the city of Madeira Beach is seriously considering contracting vital city services out of its city.
The firefighters of Madeira Beach have been put in a position that is not good for the profession of firefighters or the community of Madeira Beach.
The firefighters feel like they have been sold out to the lowest bidder.
These firefighters were hired to work for the city of Madeira Beach. They are not happy to possibly be going to work for any city other than the one they chose for their careers.
These firefighters feel Madeira Beach is home, and they are dedicated and loyal to the citizens of Madeira Beach.
This team of firefighters has been working for this City longer than the current city manager.
The current city manager has been with Madeira Beach less than any current firefighter and has decided to contract out all vital life saving services for this city to a non-community fire department.
This may be an easy way to balance the budget, but what is left for him to manage and worse what are the consequences for the city and its citizens? Many cities are having budget problems and are working them out without dumping the fire department or other vital quality of life services down the drain.
It has been stated that with this lateral transfer to the Seminole Fire Department the Madeira Beach firefighters will not lose any benefits or pay.
My concerns are :
• Veteran firefighters with proven records and long years of service will be put on a one-year probation.
• The veteran firefighters of Madeira Beach with over 40 years of service to their city will no longer have seniority privileges. They will be starting as new employees. This does not equate to a lateral transfer.
• These veteran firefighters have been in their cities pension plans for many years and will lose all time for past years employed.
• They will also have to begin contributing 8 percent of every pay period to a new pension plan, which is a decrease of 8 percent in pay. This again is not a lateral transfer.
• As a sidebar, the home owners of Madeira Beach will now be required to contribute 1.85 percent of the value of their home owner’s policies toward the Seminole Firefighters pension plan.
• Firefighters currently vested and or close to being vested in their present pension will have to stay with Seminole Fire Department another 10 years to be vested.
• Currently Madeira Beach pays for employee insurance and Seminole does not.
If the city manager is given free reign to contract out his responsibilities, the City of Madeira Beach will lose a great deal more than 12 loyal employees. The citizens will lose their fire chief, fire inspector, fire equipment, school programs, citizen meetings, dedicated employees and tax dollars.
Currently Madeira Beach Fire Department and the city of Madeira Beach collect county EMS tax dollars from Redington Beach. If and when they get out of the contract with Seminole who will get Redington’s tax dollars?
The firefighters of Madeira Beach feel betrayed and sold out to the lowest bidder after many years of loyal service to their community.
