Polk County firefighters forced to work overtime until positions are filled
BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County Fire Rescue has high hopes for what is going to start next week. Their union is going into negotiations to hammer out a new contract with Polk County.
They plan to pitch a deal they believe will address the ongoing problems that have plagued the department for years.
Vernon Austin, a spokesman for the union, Polk County Professional Firefighters, Local 3531, said the department is understaffed.
The department has dozens of positions to fill, but can’t find the manpower to fill them.
As a result, firefighters are forced to work a lot of overtime, whether they want to or not.
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A few months ago, the county launched a new strategy to address those issues.
They offered an $8,000 signing bonus for new hires and free training if staffers want to move up the ladder. They also hired a professional recruiter to find new talent.
"It wasn’t well received," Austin explained. "It didn’t help the problem at all that we can see."
On top of that, the chief, Rob Weech, is leaving for another job on the east coast of Florida to be closer to his family.
The morale among the personnel and employees is going down because of the hiring issues.
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It is unclear what the union plans to unveil.
Details are under wraps until it gets to the bargaining table.
The first session will be held on Thursday, July 7, at 2 p.m. at the Stuart Center in Bartow, and is open to the public.