Newark Fire Department, New Jersey, 2009-2011
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Newark Fire Department employee salaries are public records under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act.
On an annual basis, New Jersey's 5,360 firefighters were paid an average, or mean, salary of $71,810, according to May 2009 figures. This works out to a mean hourly wage of $34.53.[1]
Salaries and benefits
Salaries
The 2010 payroll for the fire department was $5.13 million, but pay based on hours actually worked accounted for just shy of $4 million, while benefit hours for sick, holiday, stress and vacation cost $1.15 million, or 22 percent of all pay.[2]
A review of the 2010 compensation for all members of the Newark Fire Department reveals an average pay of $58,890, which includes items such as overtime, longevity pay, paramedic differential and cashing in holiday or sick leave benefits.[2]
Department members with the rank of firefighter earned an entry-level salary of $31,449 in 2010, with a maximum base salary of $48,880.[2] The average total pay, however, was $55,659 for those with the rank of firefighter/paramedic in 2010.
Benefits
Sunshine Review filed a New Jersey Open Public Records Act request seeking benefits information on Newark Fire Department employees. The department did not respond to the request.
Newark firefighters receive a lower base salary than firefighters in some New Jersey cities of similar size, but benefit pay significantly boosts their total compensation and accounted for 22 percent of salaries paid in 2010.[2]
Car use
Sunshine Review filed a public records request seeking information on automobiles issued to employees of the Newark Fire Department, specifically for 24-hour use. The department did not respond to the request.
Phone use
Sunshine Review filed a public records request seeking information on cellular and mobile devices issued to employees of the Newark Fire Department. The department did not respond to the request.
Salary records project
In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):
1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.
The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.
A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions.[3] The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.
The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701.[3] The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.[3]
Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.
See also
External links
- N.J. police and firefighter salary cap proposed in Trenton, New Jersey Newsroom, November 23, 2010
- State Budget Solutions -- New Jersey
- "New Newark fire director plans to modernize department, raise revenue," NJ.com, January 2, 2011
Footnotes
- ↑ New Jersey Fire Fighter Salaries, eHow.com
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Newark Fire Department: Benefits boost low base wages," Newark Advocate, August 7, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 '’Philadelphia’s Quiet Crisis: The Rising Cost of Employee Benefits, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, January 23, 2008
