VIDEO: Cause for alarm. The Sedgwick County Firefighters Union said if the staff shortage gets worse, they might have to shut down a station. The union president wants staff to get a bump in pay to address the issue.
In 2016 previous Sedgwick County Commissioners voted to take away bargaining power from the Sedgwick County Firefighters Union. Now the president of the union is asking for that power back. He said call volume is up, but staffing is not.
“Over the last few years, we’ve had people leave here and there. In the last few months, we’ve really had people voice their concerns and say they can no longer financially stay with this department,” said Casey Ingalls, the president of the Sedgwick County Firefighters Union Local 2612.
Ingalls said the department has lost 29 firefighters since 2015. He said pay is partly to blame.