Jackson firefighters are a smidge closer to receiving the salary they were promised in this year’s budget, reports wlbt.com, as city council Tuesday afternoon is expected to vote on an ordinance to award the additional pay for Jackson (MS) Fire Department lieutenants and captains.

Premium pay was awarded to police officers last week, the report says. And, under the ordinance, the city would use American Rescue Plan Act funds to raise lieutenant pay to $45,000 and captain pay to $48,000.

As some firefighters have received individual raises or bonuses over the years, not all would be eligible to receive the full amount. Others would receive more because they’re earning less, according to the report.

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Fire officials also asked council to expand premium pay to include other longtime firefighters, including deputy chiefs, level two firefighters, and relief drivers.

Council will hold a special meeting at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jackson City Hall. If it passes, the ordinance would go into effect in 30 days with officers receiving a portion of the pay every two weeks, the report says.

OCALA, FL – January 24, 2022 – E-ONE , a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc. (NYSE: REVG), and a business unit within REV Fire Group, announces Jeff Aiken has joined the company as the new Director of Engineering, covering both the Ocala, Florida and Hamburg, New York operations.

Aiken has held multiple engineering director roles, previously at New York Air Brake and Pierce Manufacturing. Prior to those roles, Aiken also spent 20 years at E-ONE, with seven as the Engineering Manager, R&D, and led the engineering research and development research for chassis and aerial products.

“As we continue to look for ways to grow our business and meet our customer’s expectation, it is critical to evaluate our technical processes and improve our product offerings, specifically in the areas of product design and platforming, general bills of materials, and our overall approach to design for manufacturing,” said Gary Pacilio, VP/GM of E-ONE. “I’m excited for Jeff to return to our team and look forward to his leadership as we continue to reduce complexity and optimize our business performance across all of E-ONE.”

Aiken received an MBA from Nova University, MS in Materials Engineering from the University of Florida, and BS in Mechanical Engineering from LeTourneau University. He will be based in Ocala, FL.

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About E-ONE, Inc.

E-ONE^® is a leading fire apparatus manufacturer, making emergency vehicles, rescue trucks, aerial fire trucks, rescue pumpers, and custom fire apparatus, and has produced more than 28,000 vehicles delivered around the world. Headquartered in Ocala, Florida, E-ONE is an industry leader in product innovations, new technologies and exceeding customer expectations. E-ONE is owned by the REV Group (NYSE: REVG).

About REV Group, Inc.

REV Group^® companies are leading designers and manufacturers of specialty vehicles and related aftermarket parts and services, which serve a diversified customer base, primarily in the United States, through three segments: Fire & Emergency, Commercial, and Recreation. They provide customized vehicle solutions for applications, including essential needs for public services (ambulances, fire apparatus, school buses, and transit buses), commercial infrastructure (terminal trucks and industrial sweepers), and consumer leisure (recreational vehicles). REV Group’s diverse portfolio is made up of well-established principal vehicle brands, including many of the most recognizable names within their industry. Several of REV Group’s brands pioneered their specialty vehicle product categories and date back more than 50 years. REV Group trades on the NYSE under the symbol REVG. Investors-REVG

By Bill Adams

Potpourri is a conglomeration of unrelated gobbledygook. It’s also a fancy name for a deodorizer or an air refreshener. Both definitions could be applicable when older members of the Raisin Squad incoherently babble about numerous unrelated topics that most will probably forget the following day. Occasionally, geezer gibberish makes sense in the firehouse as well as in life in general.

At a recent morning coffee, the white hairs went full tilt over a notification that the state’s FIREMEN’S association was changing its name to become more gender-neutral. Collective comments included: What the hell is this world coming to? Why are they picking on us? Some social justice warrior has an infected hair across their posterior orifice. Don’t do-gooders ever run out of stuff to complain about? The firehouse is being invaded by political correctness. The last time some of these guys were that upset, they got their draft notices from Uncle Sam.

My disclaimer: This column reflects the opinion of this commentator only. It does not represent the views of the magazine, its website, editorial staff, or their advertisers.

To be fair and to give equal time to the opposing viewpoint, the official announcement said: “In celebration of its 150th anniversary, The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York is giving itself a new name. As of this month, the group will be known as The Firefighters’ Association of the State of New York (FASNY). The organization’s board voted unanimously to change its name at a December meeting. ‘We all felt it was time,’ FASNY President John Farrell said in a written statement. Using ‘firefighter’ takes gender out of the association’s name. “The volunteer fire service has evolved greatly from the late 19th century. While our original name was based on the fire service of 1872, our new name positions us for the 21st century.” First Vice President Edward Tase echoed his comments. ‘We did not make this change lightly. We know and respect the great history of our association,’ he said. ‘We also know that our name, like our logos, symbols and actions, must represent today’s volunteer fire service.’

The name could have been left alone and the last sentence could’ve been changed to “We know that by maintaining our name, like our logos and symbols, we acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice made by the forefathers of today’s volunteer fire service.”

Claiming equal time for us older opinionated traditionalists: Who gives a rat’s rectum what people who put out fires are called? Who complained? How many complained? The fire service has been one of the last bastions of independence that I believe is being neutered because of possible or perceived political correctness, wokeness, or social injustice.

By the way, what is a social justice warrior? Multiple definitions are found online. The one I find best-suited to my biased opinion is: “Someone who gets so easily offended by everything and anything, no matter how big or small, of how real or fake something is. They will do it to give their miserable lives that good feeling of justice and morals.”

I’ll bet the people being cut out of a wrecked automobile don’t care if the rescue tool operators stand or sit in the restroom. Will Helen break down in tears if the Lieutenant calls her the hydrantman? Will Harry the 250-pound nozzleman be offended if he’s just called a fireman by the person thanking him for pulling out of a burning apartment? Should the crew on Engine 2 demand the 4th grade class be reprimanded because they collectively thanked “all the firemen” during fire prevention week? C’mon folks, let’s get real. Get a life. Find another cause–or target. Leave the fire department alone.

Be concerned with making life easier for firewomen,

CustomFIRE—Bascom (OH) Joint Fire District full-response pumper. Kenworth T880 cab and chassis; Paccar MX11 430-hp engine; Waterous CSU 1,250-gpm pump; 1,600-polypropylene water tank; 30-gallon foam cell; FoamPro 2001 single-agent foam system; adjustable compartment shelving. Dealer: Wayde Kirvida, CustomFIRE, Osceola, WI.

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