Monday night, Directors of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District voted unanimously to give Chief Hugh Henderson a three-year contract extension which included a $13,000 raise.
Directors spent the evening defending their actions trying to justify to the public giving the Chief a raise despite earlier in the evening voting to move forward on the first steps towards asking voters for a Benefit Assessment to help the agency’s ongoing financial struggles.
Under the agreement, on June 1, the Chief’s salary now will jump from $10,555.89 per month ($126,670.68 annual) to $11,537.87 per month ($139,654.44 annual).
This is the first raise for the Chief who has declined raises in the past as the District struggled with its finances.
The Board called the job the Chief has done as “outstanding” while defending their position.
Board President Joel Bryant argued that if they did not provide a raise, it would be harder for them in the future to attract another chief.
“It would be impossible in finding any individual qualified to be the chief of this organization that would be willing to do the job requirement that he is currently fulfilling the roles of a couple more full-time positions in addition to what his job description as chief is for the same amount of money he is getting right now,” explained Bryant. “Bringing someone in from the outside to fill that obligation would be nearly impossible for someone to take the kind of pay cut in a chief’s position coming to this district.”
Bryant further explained by moving forward, it helps them in the future in finding a future chief.
“My personal desire is that in the future we have the ability to look both in house and outside for a replacement chief. I’d be surprised at this point at this level of compensation that we can find one in house or outside the District. There are several reasons for this and that is the reason,” said Bryant.
Director Joe Young called it a “super human job” and supported the raise because it was in the original contract which was deferred.
Director Steve Smith stated he was also in favor of the raise.
“I am aware of some people who are saying why should we grant the chief a raise when we are in such a desperate financial state and asking people to help, but as President Bryant points out that we are trying to manage this as an ongoing concern and when you have an employee who is doing an outstanding job and hasn’t had a raise which he was entitled to for a few years and now we recognize that, I just don’t see why that should be a cause for people to criticize this board. I have been on this board 16-months and it’s been a high-speed education on what it takes to run a fire department and it’s a staggering job for one person. It’s amazing what he has to cover and he covers it well.
Director Bryant added that public safety people get a lot of criticisms from people who do not have the guts to do the job.
“They get a lot of criticism, but it comes from people who do not have the guts to do the job. The people that do step up to do the job very quickly realize that the personal sacrifice to do the job can never be compensation financially. If it was just for money, I don’t think any of them would do it. I think they do it because of their personality and care for community, family, and society in general” said Bryant. “If we doubled their salaries it would only equal others. That is mind blowing. I recommend we approve this.”
Director Ronald Johansen wanted to take the time to educate the public on salaries.
“In my career 4,500 firefighters have died in the line of duty, many who are my friends and work with closely. Many more will be dying as the days wear on. From cancer, heart attacks and other diseases. The risk that our firefighters face every day are not just fighting structure fires, they face as many life threatening issues on every medical they go on, every accident, going to and from incidents. The death rates for firefighters are some of the highest in the country,” explained Johansen. “I can tell you they have the highest injury rates, their bodies are taking a beating and now their souls are taking a beating from the public’s perception of their service. That hurts me…. I want you to know that most firefighters do not live long enough to enjoy their pension. They deserve our support and to be recognized.”
Johansen pleaded with the public to understand that our firefighters took their first raise earlier this year for the first time in 7-years.
“Yet they are still the lowest paid firefighters in most Northern California by 40%–at least in the Bay Area. In my agency (San Francisco), the Chiefs Salary is that of a Lieutenant which is a first officer, not even a captain. It’s a junior officer. That saddens me. Our firefighters are paid 40% less than anywhere else,” said Johansen. “The public needs to understand that the firefighters and the Chief are not asking for a lot, in fact, they were still willing to sacrifice but this board feels like we have to give them something so they know the Board recognizes them and we support them and know they have done a good job and continue to always do more with less. I don’t want to ask them anymore, I want to give them some opportunity to see a reward. I don’t believe what we are giving the Chief today is that much because he is doing the job of an administrator by himself with one secretary. We are asking him to do what other departments are doing with four-to-five people. I am glad we are moving forward with this.”
Editors Note:
In speaking with Chief Henderson after the meeting, the Chief indicated he did not want the raise, however, the Board forced him to take one.
Here is a look at what other fire chiefs make in nearby districts.
- Alameda County Fire – $175,620 (interim)
- Benicia Fire – $155,000*
- Berkeley – $196,000*
- Contra Costa County Fire – $195,641
- Fremont Fire – $187,000*
- Hayward Fire Chief – $167,226*
- Moraga-Orinda Fire – $220,000 (note: reduced to $199,000 in February 2014)
- Pleasanton Fire – $187,000*
- San Francisco Fire – $297,000*
- San Ramon Fire – $235,000
- Richmond Fire – $171,000
- Rodeo-Hercules Fire – $162,000
- Santa Clara – $207,000*
- Vacaville Fire – $184,000*
Bold = Fire Districts in Contra Costa County
*Figures are rounded and based on 2012 data
Note – All data does not include benefits
6 comments
I have been really upset over some of the comments posted by people who have no clue what a toll this job and any public safety job takes on a person and their family.
we are asking a man to be on call 24/7, run an agency with just a secretary (and calling her just a secretary is an insult), and keep moral up and people doing their job. Hugh is still underpaid for his responsibilities. We pay our city managers and city staff way more than these men who put their life on line every time they respond. At an accident scene-many times first responders are put in danger by the lookie loo drivers. A Fla State Trooper was killed over the weekend by a man who hit her and 2 other at an accident scene on the side of the road.
The people in this area are blaming the wrong people for this issue. As I have stated several times, this fire dept. was set up for failure from day one. The funding was never there to begin with. It has needed additional funding from day one but all the people that bought homes here aren’t going to pass a tax. Oakley and Brentwood are some of the fastest growing cities in the state, but where is their sense of responsibility to the people that are buying the houses and adding to the already sub-standard fire service? As it was stated to me several years ago–It’s not our problem. Well, it IS the city’s responsibility. You are putting more people at risk every time you approve building permits for another development.
I really wonder how many of you really do understand the issue and the job. You say that we should pay our firefighters like jobs in the private sector, well chew on this for a bit-Hugh is the CEO of a business. Hmmmm do you think a CEO would be making $140,000 a year? Again Oakley’s city manager is making over $200,000?????? Would you do the job for what are FF are being paid? how many of them get to enjoy their retirement? Really, how many of those retirees have some sort of health issues that restrict their activities? health issues from their service to their communities?
Go ahead, beat me up, say that I am wrong or that I don’t understand things. I stand by my comments. Chief Henderson deserves the raise. ECC sure and the hell doesn’t deserve you.
Hugh is hardly the CEO of a business, and by your definition, the ice cream cart vendor is a CEO too. He has less than a hundred employees in his charge, and far less assets of responsibility than many Fortune 500 Company mid-level managers. Hell, a 3 year Captain in the Marines manages a Company, nearly 300 Marines, and takes them to war. So, let’s not go puffing up what he is and what he does way out of proportion.
Oh, and many people in the private sector also have to answer a duty call 24 hours a day, at the risk of life and limb. There are quite a lot of people who contribute to the life you live in immeasurable and unnoticed ways that you appear to dismiss with the wave of a hand. If you think there are people out there that don’t risk life and limb daily to ensure your lifestyle is what it is, you are sorely mistaken. And many do it for far less money.
Our military is paid far less, and bears much more responsibility in many instances. How many service members have you kept track of that have lost their lives in the line of duty? No less a life than that of the Fl State Trooper to be sure, or any other person.
You state that this fire district (you incorrectly call it a department…) is set up for failure. Where is that failure? What are the signs of this impending failure? I think they do a remarkable job given the resources, and I think they’ll continue to do a remarkable job, and I see no signs of “failure”. Is it perfect? No. Could it be better? I don’t know. What I do know is that I’ve heard the sky is falling for two years now, and lo an behold, nothing has happened so far. And did it occur to you that more permits to build means not only more people to protect, but, more revenue as well? So that point is a wash.
I’ll agree with you though, the Chief should be paid a salary commensurate with his duties, and our District should have the personnel and resources necessary to provide for our safety. The real question is where does it stop? It’s currently a vicious circle of “look what he gets paid, give me that too”, and it continues (read what Chuck Reed in San Jose has written about this cycle of pay raises in public safety jobs), basically in the same fashion as the housing bubble. Either we stop it, or it will eventually burst. That’s basic econ 101.
But, as I’ve stated here before, minimizing the work that others in our community do to give all of us the services and goods we need and want for our daily lives is no less important that what the Chief does.
For what it is worth, I’ll vote yes again to increase their cut of property tax revenue with a reasonable increase on my part (Measure S amount), despite all you here who constantly whine about this issue.
RW, I wouldn’t even know where to start to respond to that mess.
But I’ll leave you with this: if you’re wondering where impending doom for the District might come from(failure, as you put it), keep your eyes glued to this blog and tomorrow’s posts.
Posts like yours, Gonzales and some of his email buddies have for years beat down morale, belittled and continually tried to trivialize the members of our fire department who have loyally served us. You treat people like that long enough and they no longer want to work for you.
Chickens about to come home roost BIG TIME.
I haven’t treated anyone in any fashion I myself have not endured, nor would expect to be treated myself. I state again my support for the revenue expansion you and your brethren so desire in order to bring the service up to acceptable levels. But you are too blind and cantankerous to see that, too quick to nail anyone who does not goose step in concert with your views to the wall. I’ve stated many times, and will again now: I will vote yes for any reasonable tax/assessment whatever that brings the region to the minimum standard we should have been at 10 years ago. But, I won’t put the fire service personnel up on a pedestal. They are no different than any other citizen of our community. As to whether you respond to my postings or not, I could care less.
The raise for the Fire Chief was warranted. He has taken money out of his pocket for the betterment of the County in the past few years and I think it is great that they reward him. Especially if the Board finds that he is a good leader of men. These men are hard to find.
I wouldn’t have the Chiefs job for $ 200,000 or $ 250,000 with the situation he deals with today. I would easily take the city manger job for that as long as they give me a free house loan.
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