r/Firefighting • u/IronWolfBlaze • Apr 24 '25

News Winston-Salem Firefighters: Underpaid, Understaffed, and Now Losing Their Sick Time— I heard you sir, have a seat.

Winston-Salem firefighters are facing a full-scale erosion of their pay, staffing, and safety—and the city is doubling down. Here's what’s happening:

  • No step pay plan means firefighters have no guaranteed path to raises. They’re stuck in vague pay bands, creating pay compression and forcing many to leave for better-paying departments.

  • Staffing was slashed from 89 to 79 per shift, well below the 4-person-per-truck standard set by NFPA and IFSTA.

  • Safety 7 and the air supply truck were eliminated, removing key fireground safety support and equipment resupply.

  • Sick time cut in half—from 288 to 134 hours a year. First-year vacation time also slashed from 240 to 112 hours. Even senior firefighters with 20+ years lose hundreds of hours.

  • They’re paid 4–7% less than comparable departments in North Carolina despite facing more fires and longer shifts.

  • Union President Parrinello was shut down at a city council meeting while trying to speak: “I heard you, sir. Have a seat.” —Mayor Allen Joines

  • Meanwhile, Greensboro staffs 156 per shift. Winston-Salem does more with less and still gets punished for it.

  • Firefighters are taking second jobs after 24-hour shifts just to get by—this isn’t just morale. It’s a public safety issue.

Full articles here: https://archive.ph/kjuy9
https://archive.ph/7Svig

Watch the mayor shut down the Union President. https://www.youtube.com/live/fYXwPz5VwOw?si=q5WTCgW5HMCwgQSl&t=1h16m5s

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31

u/Timeless997 Apr 24 '25

Damn at this point NC sounds like a sh*t hole for ff

16

u/Senior-Raspberry-984 Edit to create your own flair Apr 24 '25

100% North and South Carolina FFs are whipped by these department heads and municipalities because there is no collective bargaining. I would stay far away from the south east us if you are serious about the career.

2

u/Arlak_The_Recluse Apr 28 '25

I'm an electrician trying to get my foot in the door as a Firefighter, I've gotta say it's the same for my career. Southeast is a place to escape if you work a labor career in general.

25

u/ConnorK5 NC Apr 24 '25

The upside of being a firefighter in NC is almost no FD runs ambulances/transports. You may run higher acuity med calls but you don't ever ride an ambulance. So there is that.

But yes it's a shithole.

7

u/Timeless997 Apr 24 '25

What’s your thoughts on Durham FD ?

11

u/ConnorK5 NC Apr 24 '25

Last I heard the morale is kind of low when you look at what everyone else around them gets paid and eventually that costs them a lot of their good employees. I think running quints instead of engines is dumb personally but that's me. They run good calls. I think they are doing more than anyone in the state with their lateral and accelerated lateral programs to get guys in the door. And their Chief sounds like a real bad ass to have the city wire up his POV Dodge Challenger to use as a Chief's vehicle to help save the city enough money to buy one of his other admin guys a new vehicle.

They also have some electric cars as admin vehicles cause their city has some green initiative they are pushing to get all city owned vehicles to be electric by a certain date so they also look at a lot of demo electric fire engines.

They have good people working within the Fire Department.

4

u/Nemesis651 Apr 24 '25

Durham burns, a lot. Never a boring day regardless there. EMS has some issues so you might be waiting for a transport.

6

u/Igloo_dude Career FF/EMT-B Apr 25 '25

I’m a Firefighter in Western NC, about 45 minutes west of Charlotte. I make about 50K a year working a 24/48 as a 3 year FF. There are some really good departments to work for, but they’re few and far between.

10

u/superman7515 Apr 25 '25

From the wording you used, I honestly don't know if you're using your salary and hours as an example of what is good or what is bad in the area.

4

u/Igloo_dude Career FF/EMT-B Apr 25 '25

It’s on par with departments that are roughly the same size. What screws us is being so close to Charlotte. We’ve lost a lot of dudes to Charlotte because they can damn near double our pay. On the back side though, we’ve gotten big raises to make us “more competitive”.

6

u/fireinthesky7 TN FF/Paramedic Apr 26 '25

If you're making $50k after raises, I have to assume everyone in your department was on the verge of poverty before.

1

u/Igloo_dude Career FF/EMT-B Apr 26 '25

Yeah kinda

5

u/beachmedic23 Paramedic/FF Apr 25 '25

That sucks

5

u/Pyroechidna1 Apr 25 '25

50K a year? I was on 51K at my first little corporate job…in 2015

1

u/Igloo_dude Career FF/EMT-B Apr 25 '25

Yeah, 50K a year.

2

u/CryptographerHot4636 West Coast Firefighter/EMT Apr 29 '25

Damn that's sad. You deserve more than.

I make triple your salary before overtime. If you are able, move and get paid what you are worth.