Outrageous Overtime at Memphis Fire Department
September 8, 2004
By Roswell Encina

Memphis, TN - They're the guys in the front line of every fire. But the bottom line is, they're raking in the overtime. The fire department pays more in OT every year than what we pay Mayor Willie Herenton and every council member combined, eight times over.

"We're calling in forty to forty-four fire personnel a day," says Firefighter Union President Terry Oldham.

Just in the past seven months, the fire department has already spent more than 4.5 million dollars in overtime. In January, close to a million dollars, that's an average of 30 grand a day! In April,- more than 850 thousand bucks. That's 28 thousand a day!

I know the overtime figures are high, but we need to make sure that we use whatever resources to protect Memphians," says Councilman Brent Taylor.

Even Mayor Willie Herenton has noticed overtime is out of control. In Tuesday's council meeting, the mayor says the city as a whole spent more than two million dollars in overtime last year.

"I'm very concerned about where we are fiscally," says Herenton.
In a statement from Deputy Fire Director Alvin Benson he says they are "concerned about overtime costs." Benson adds they pay overtime because they're short of firefighters; short by one hundred and fifty. Every time someone is on vacation, every time someone is sick someone has to replace them.

"Its getting to the point some are getting exhausted because of it," says Oldham.

So who's to blame for the shortage? The union is pointing the finger at City Hall. They believe folks there are holding up the hiring process.
"Just heard the city is dragging their feet, why I don't know," says Oldham.

Benson also says there will be 104 new firefighters on the street by January. And a new class of recruits begin in November.

City of Memphis Division of Fire Services
Month Overtime Hours Overtime Amount

January '04 31,516.25 $ 942,663.28
February '04 25,210.75 728,059.82
March '04 14,515.50 461,814.32
April '04 26,389.94 855,100.07
May '04 20,419.75 617,889.51
June '04 22,079.25 654,191.11
July '04 23,015.25 331,374.56
TOTAL $ 4,591,092.67