The Brunswick Town Council on Thursday approved an 8.65% pay hike for firefighters to help with recruitment and retention.

The raises, which took effect Monday, are in addition to pay hikes included in the latest firefighters’ contract that the council approved in May, when there were three vacancies among the department’s 41 positions. Over the fall, vacancies rose to 10 due to a combination of retirements and people leaving for positions at higher-paying departments or to switch careers, according to fire Chief Ken Brillant.

The firefighters’ union provided the council with a study comparing Brunswick firefighter pay to other departments like Bath, Topsham and Augusta in advocating for the raises.

“It’s a big step in the right direction,” said union President Claire Dufort, a lieutenant who has served in the department for 17 years. “This is going to help bring us in line with other departments, which will help at the entry level and with the retention piece.

“We’re appreciative of the support [of] the council and chief and town manager.”

The pay hike increased the wage for the most basic firefighting position to $25 an hour. The contract includes an additional 4% pay hike July 1.

“The reality is this is the market now and we’re going to be in this situation for a while, even with competitive wages,” Town Manager John Eldridge told the council Thursday. “I don’t think the situation we are in is unique. Employment everywhere is at a premium. … Fewer and fewer people are applying for public safety positions.

“Back in the day, you would have 50 applications for a couple of positions. Now we’re lucky to get a handful.”

Brillant said Friday there are six vacancies in the department and several candidates are being reviewed.

“(The union) recognized we needed to make adjustments to stay competitive,” he said. “We’re hoping to not only increase the candidate pool but we’re also looking at the retention side of it, too.

“We have good employees, and we don’t want them leaving based solely on, ‘Oh, I can go over here and make more money.’ We want to be competitive.”

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