Cleveland's fire brigade is set to receive an uplift in their paychecks and a boost in their operational capabilities, Mayor Justin M. Bibb confirms. A freshly inked three-year contract with the firefighters' union will see first responders getting a 21% salary increase. This tidy sum includes a guaranteed 12% parity spike, retroactive to April 1, and an additional 9% hike spread out over three years, announced the mayor in a recent press conference, as detailed in a report from WKYC.
Improving the attractiveness of the firefighting profession, the contract also reduces the service time firefighters need to qualify for extra vacation hours. Meanwhile, health premiums for family and individual plans won't see any increase for the year, reported the City of Cleveland. The Division is also powering up with a Boat Unit geared for water suppression and rescue, a move celebrated by IAFF Local 93 President Jake Konys, who highlighted its day-in, day-out enhancement to community safety while, presumably, standing on a boat, as reported by Cleveland 19 News.
A part of Mayor Bibb's Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone (RISE) initiative, the agreement offers a beacon of modernization and reinforcement for Cleveland's fire services. The initiative, launched in 2023, has seen the reduction of city homicides by 36% and theft of motor vehicles by 22% since its inception, WKYC detailed.
The RISE plan, under Bibb's leadership, extends far beyond pay increases, encompassing a series of robust investments in technology, community partnerships, enforcement policies, and the upgrading of Cleveland's emergency response services. Hiring incentives have resonated well, with the city welcoming 134 police academy recruits—the most since 2019—by the close of 2024, as cited by WKYC.
