(KLZA)--Due to the anticipated retirement of the lone full-time driver at the Falls City Volunteer Fire Department, the Falls City Council has approved on-call pay for part-time drivers covering shifts.  

Ken Simpson who has been gone from the department due to health reasons is expected to retire in early March. Since January 1, the fire station has not been manned.

 Department Public Information Officer Jon McQueen presented a proposal  to the Council January 15th  to continue an on-call schedule utilizing six people to cover 24 hours per day, seven days per week.   

In the recent past, on-call  fire fighters were paid $3 per hour during the week and $4 per hour on the weekends. McQueen offered a new plan to the Council, suggesting simplifying things by going to a flat rate of either four or five dollars per hour. The lower rate would cost the City $35,040 annually with the $5 rate costing $43,800 per year.

At one point, the City employed three full-time drivers with someone always at the station.  When one driver retired, he was not replaced and for several years two drivers pulled shifts with the fire station unmanned on weekends.

Following another retirement, the City employed just one full time driver working 40 hours per week, daytime hours only. In addition, the driver was assigned the duty of City Building Inspector.  

McQueen who has been a volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years said he would like to see the city continue to have a full-time driver employed. McQueen said scheduling service for the trucks and keeping equipment including ladders, pumps and a $20,000 air compressor maintained to pass annual inspections keeps a full-time employee busy.

City Administrator Gary Jorn told the Council that money is an issue, noting the budget is tight and that a lot of capital improvements and capital outlays were cut from this years budget as well as technology upgrades due to revenues not matching up with expenditures.

McQueen said he understands funds are tight but said the Council needs to make a decision on which way to go.

Jorn explained the plan was to phase out the full-time drivers as they retired, but said the Management Committee did not have a recommendation on what to do at this time.

Following a lengthy discussion, the Council voted unanimously with Councilman Derek Leyden absent to pay $5 per hour for on-call shifts beginning January 16th.

Under this plan the cost to the  City for on-call time would amount to $43,800 annually.