
I would like to commend the Mayor and City Council for approving a budget that does not increase property taxes. Many of us are still grappling with the significant increase from last year.
So why isn’t everyone pleased with this year’s budget? Could it be that the Raleigh Fire Department’s request for Separation Allowance was omitted from the budget for the third consecutive year? The residents certainly supported the benefit as evidenced by the submission of nearly 500 emails.
Separation Allowance has been studied in numerous work sessions and has been brought up for each of the last three budget cycles. Despite having two budget notes, it has never been included in the budget by the City Manager’s office. This situation must change.
Based on resident polling, public safety is considered one of the highest priorities for Raleigh. Many elected officials campaigned on this issue, yet when it came down to the final vote, the mayor and Council were unwilling to provide a Separation Allowance benefit for the firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect human life and property 24 hours a day, despite risking their own lives and welfare.
The City is facing an emerging crisis. As the city grows and density increases, there is a growing concern about fire protection. What happens when firefighters arrive late due to staff shortages at nearby stations?
For the size of our city, the Raleigh Fire Department (RFD) is at least 200 firefighter positions short. When including the current 50 known vacancies, they are 250 firefighters short of the manpower needed to fully protect this City today.
Raleigh has not added any new firefighter positions since 2014, while experiencing rapid population growth and development.
Let’s be clear. RFD is requesting the same benefit paid between retirement and age 62 that RPD officers have been receiving since 1987.
Mortality rate comparisons can be misleading. However, the following facts are not deceptive:
The CDC confirms that among career firefighters, sudden cardiac death and asphyxiation are the leading causes of death, and FEMA states that coronary heart disease is the greatest health risk to firefighters.
Firemen are at a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population.
So let’s fix this now.
Each Councilor admitted it was a hard decision to make. No more budget notes or workshops. The benefit and cost have been thoroughly studied for years. Build this benefit into the next budget before it comes to Council for a vote! Add this benefit to the budget for 2026 / 2027 or earlier if the funds become available before another firefighter enters retirement, either through disability or earned service without any benefits until they can collect Social Security.
One final thought. Polling the RFD to see if they would sacrifice their own compensation to pay for a benefit that they have earned just added insult to injury. While the compensation provided to both RPD and FPD may have seemed like it provided a competitive salary, it still leaves public service personnel at a starting salary below the median salary for surrounding communities.
That just added insult to injury.
Using the budget’s key motto: “Our workforce is our greatest asset,” Council still has the means to show that appreciation by supporting RFD and including Separation Allowance in future budget planning. Do not leave this in the hands of the City Manager! The cost of the program is less than half a penny or approximately 5 million dollars per annum. Please continue to prioritize this request and find these funds in the nearly 1.8 billion dollar budget.
One final thought:-
When RPD retires, they leave their threat behind. For RFD, their bullets (cancer) still chase them for the rest of their lives.
If you appreciate the kind of reporting we bring to you
Please donate $10 or $20, Thanks for supporting |
![]() |