Part-time Firefighters Get Pay Increase In Oak Forest

OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest's part-time firefighter and paramedics will see bigger paychecks after the city voted to increase their pay to $20 an hour, up from $13.

The council approved the 54 percent increase at Tuesday night's meeting. The increase, Fire Chief Patrick Duffy said, will help the department compete with nearby municipalities whose higher rates have been siphoning off talent from Oak Forest.

Research shows that Midlothian and Homewood pay an hourly rate of $20; Country Club Hills pays $19 to $24, depending on education; and Flossmoor pays $21.

Oak Forest has supplemented its full-time staff with part-time workers since 2009, and in recent years, Duffy said, recruitment and retention has become difficult. The staff the department employs hold certifications for both firefighting and for paramedics, which make them highly desirable on the market.

In the past 90 days, the department lost firefighters to take full-time, career positions with other fire departments. Oak Forest employs seven part-timers, who work 12-hour shifts.

Duffy said he also will push a hiring campaign for part-time positions through social media.

Photo via Shutterstock.