Gallagher

The Town Council ratified three public safety collective bargaining agreements at its Aug. 21 meeting. The agreements cover the more than 90 police officers, firefighters and emergency dispatchers who make up nearly half of all full-time municipal employees.

The agreements were struck in the midst of one of the most competitive labor markets in recent memory, with near record-low unemployment and still high inflation creating upward pressure on wages.

Within the governmental sector, specifically local government, public safety positions have been exceedingly difficult to fill, with fewer people pursuing careers in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency management services, or emergency dispatching.

While turnover in our police and fire departments has been manageable, with the notable exception of emergency dispatch, the town receives only a few more applicants than the number of available positions when recruiting for vacant positions. Adding to the challenge, when these departments have vacancies, it places greater strain on existing employees, increasing employee burnout and creating greater overtime expense to the town.

In order to remain competitive and fill their vacancies, public safety agencies across Maine have been increasing wages at unprecedented rates. At the start of the last agreements (2021), Scarborough was likely one of the highest paying municipalities in Southern Maine. As of June 2024, all three groups (police, fire and dispatch) were between 3% and 8% below the regional average, and far below the highest paid agencies. The approved contracts address these market disparities to improve our labor market competitiveness.

New incentives were also added to recruit and retain staff. They include paid military leave and a monetary incentive recognizing prior military service, increasing the starting vacation leave to three weeks for all employees, allowing for staff to take advantage of their pension eligibility while continuing to work, and recognizing the inconvenience of short-notice forced overtime through the payment of premium pay.

In addition to wage adjustments and incentives, the contracts include significant investments in mental health and physical wellness for our first responders. Our public safety employees are tasked with listening and responding to some of the most horrific scenes imaginable – car accidents, fatalities, fires, and for our emergency dispatchers, taking the calls from loved ones in desperate need of assistance.

While the work is unquestionably purposeful, studies have consistently shown that this line of work often comes with a cost to the individual’s mental health, physical health and personal relationships. Attempting to organize and understand all of the trauma they are exposed to without assistance or support is nearly impossible.

The mental health program will require all employees to have an annual appointment with a licensed clinician specializing in public safety and other high-stress occupations. The appointment removes any stigma with seeking help and will allow issues or concerns to be referred for additional intervention before it could potentially become more problematic and apparent.

Also included and to be implemented in the first year of the contract is a strongly incentivized physical fitness program. The requirements for the program are modeled on the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations for physical activity for adults, combined with a requirement for an annual physical and attending additional wellness education courses. The requirements for physical activity include 150 minutes of moderate activity a week and at least two days of muscle strengthening activities. Our community relies on our public safety staff to take care of them in the most dire of circumstances and these two initiatives go some way toward taking care of them.

In the latest community survey, the highest level of satisfaction expressed with any municipal service was that of our public safety services. The satisfaction rating of 93%, nearly 27% higher than both the regional and national averages, indicates that the town of Scarborough employs some of the very finest public safety professionals. The agreements should ensure that our dedicated first responders will continue to serve the Scarborough community for years to come.

Liam Gallagher is Scarborough’s director of human resources and assistant town manager.