Public safety agencies hope money will help with staffing crunch
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Augusta Commission has agreed to apply for a grant to give $1,000 bonuses to law enforcement and first responders.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the program back in September. Local governments can apply through the end of the month.
And it’s not the first step to get more money to public safety workers. The push for pay comes as both the sheriff’s office and fire department are having trouble recruiting and retaining enough people.
The agencies are all getting pay boosts for their employees. And it’s needed now more than ever. The sheriff’s office says it’s down 130 people. So officials hope a little more money brings in a little more people.
“To be honest with you, every agency right now is vying for candidates,” said Col. Calvin Chew of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
And hiring is harder when the pay is low.
“When you talk about first responders and the sacrifices they make and the stress of the job and everything else, you know, pay goes a long way to help morale,” said Jason DeHart, Augusta Fire Department communications officer.
Augusta recently increased starting pay for firefighters to $15 per hour.
“For a firefighter 1, the pay increase is close to a $7,000 or $8,000 pay increase,” said DeHart.
And so far, “It’s made all the difference,” he said.
The agency brought on roughly 40 new recruits this year and has more positions opening at the first of next year.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, on the other hand, has jobs that need to be filled now.
“We bring in people, but as soon as we bring in people, we lose people,” said Chew.
The agency received a $3.2 million bump in next year’s budget.
Chew says it’s all to make the pay competitive with nearby sheriff’s departments. Despite being the biggest, the Richmond County agency’s pay was the lowest.
But finding qualified candidates is a challenge, too. After a job fair in July, the agency only walked away with 10 candidates.
“From those 10 candidates, only one qualified. So that just gives you an example — that’s the struggle we’re dealing with,” said Chew.
Of all those applying, he says roughly 70 percent do not meet the standard to be hired.
“We can’t just get anybody. You know we’re not just looking for bodies to fill the spot,” said Chew.
With a bigger bank, the agency hopes to get and keep employees.
Chew says the agency will end his year losing the most people he’s ever seen. That $3.2 million will go into effect next year, and he hopes to start seeing some results by February.
Need a job?
The sheriff’s agency is looking for good candidates, so in order to be considered, you must be a high school graduate, at least 21 years old and have no criminal record.
Chew says the most critical need is for jail staff.
Most of the time, if you want to be a deputy, you’ll start out by working in the jail.
To apply, visit https://www.richmondcountysheriffsoffice.com/current-openings.cfm.
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