FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Fayetteville approved a new incentive pay plan for firefighters during a city council meeting on March 21.
$404,000 from the city's General Fund will be used for the plan.
According to the city council memo, Fayetteville conducted a survey of firefighter and police pay using a methodology from the 2017 City Council Ad Hoc Pay Plan Committee. The survey was completed in 2023 by JER HR Group.
The survey sourced the following data on benefits offered by cities from Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Jonesboro and Lawrence, KS:
- retirement
- medical/dental
- time off in excess of statutory requirements
- certification pay
- longevity pay
The study identified three major areas of improvement for the fire department's incentive and assignment pay:
- Longevity Pay – four of the five data sources offer longevity pay
- Education Pay – three of the five data sources offer education pay
- Education Pay and Certification/Assignment Pay – four of the five data sources offer Certification/Assignment Pay
The memo stated that these areas needed improvement in order for Fayetteville to remain competitive in the job market.
In addition to boosting market competitiveness, officials say offering these incentives will help with the retention of staff in specialized assignments, encourage the pursuit of higher education within the department and provide the community with well-trained staff and personnel.
The plan would also provide incentives for bilingual certification to better communicate with Fayetteville's diverse population, according to the memo.
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