Earlier this week, the Kings County Board of Supervisors authorized the County’s human resources director to execute a collective bargaining agreement with the Kings County Firefighters’ Association (KCFA). The terms of the agreement were agreed to last week, and the executed agreement is effective retroactively to July 1, 2023 (compensation increases effective April 29, 2024).
“I’m grateful that we have reached an agreement, and can once again focus on serving our community,” said Supervisor Doug Verboon, chair of the Kings County Board of Supervisors. “Public safety is our top priority, and the generous agreement that we’ve entered into reflects that sentiment. Our thanks go out to the Kings County Firefighters’ Association for reconsidering and accepting our proposal.”
The joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Kings County and the KCFA expired June 30, 2023 (negotiations began the week prior). In December 2023, using data collected from an external, independent compensation study, Kings County presented an updated wage proposal and agreement term reflective of comparable jurisdictions. The proposal included an 18% wage increase spread out over the term of the agreement. While originally rejected, the KCFA ultimately accepted the proposal with additional increases to specialty pays last week.
Under the new agreement, wages for all levels of firefighter staffing range from a minimum of $64,676 to a maximum of $97,319 annually (before overtime and benefits). Throughout the negotiation process, Kings County prioritized fairness and transparency and was committed to offering competitive compensation and benefits while also balancing the fiscal constraints faced by our municipality.
Kings County deeply appreciates our local firefighters’ dedication and commitment to serving local residents.