COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) - Contract concessions granted by the firefighter’s union in Coldwater are helping the city save money in the hiring of a required additional platoon member for the fire department.
The City Council on Monday approved the new contract language that calls for reducing the work cycle for firefighters from 28 days to 24 days. That will reduce the overtime hours at the department.
The new hire is tied into the 2010 census numbers for the city and will increase the number of platoon members from 13 to 14. Coldwater Public Safety Director Brett Pehrson estimates the savings that could be realized from the reduced work cycle could be as much as 30-thousand dollars. The swing shift firefighter should be hired sometime before the end of the year.
