By Kevin Griffin
Winston-Salem Journal
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro City Council chambers were filled with city firefighters calling for expanded benefits in the upcoming city budget.
The firefighters filled many of the seats in the council chambers and lined the back wall.
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Dave Coker, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro, estimated around 150 people from the department were present for the meeting.
The firefighters were there to show their support for including a special separation allowance for firefighters in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.
A special separation allowance is a benefit currently available to law enforcement officers that allows them to receive retirement pay if they retire before age 62, when they become eligible for Social Security.
The benefit for officers currently applies to those who have served 30 years or reached age 55 with at least 5 years of credited service, according to the N.C. Retirement Systems website.
This benefit is already available to Greensboro police officers. And leaders representing the firefighters said it would provide an important boost to the fire department as well.
Coker said adding the benefit would cost less than 1% of City Manager Trey Davis’ $913 million recommended budget.
He said the allowance would make the department “a destination employer and supports our ability to maintain the excellence our city deserves.”
Martin Barrow, a recruitment coordinator for the department, said the allowance would be an important selling point for new firefighters and would also help the department remain competitive with others across the state.
“Special separation allowance sends a clear message that Greensboro values the men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting this great community,” he said.
Coker has also recalled previous meetings with council members in which they had voiced support for the allowance.
Some council members, including Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth and Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter, expressed their appreciation for the department.
Councilman Adam Marshall was the only member to offer clear support for the request.
“I think this is a benefit we need to provide,” Marshall said.
Noting the risks of the job, Marshall added, “They protect us every day. I think it’s time that we do the same for them and their families with the special separation allowance.”
The council is expected to vote to adopt the new budget on June 16.
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