He argued that the city\u2019s proposal would not solve the department\u2019s problems or make Hialeah firefighters competitive with surrounding agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t resolve any of it. It doesn\u2019t make us comparable, nowhere near comparable to departments around us, much less our own first responders who are on scene,\u201d Bello said.<\/p>\n
Fire \u2018sacred\u2019<\/p>\n
Shortly after Calvo was elected mayor in November, he told the Miami Herald that police officers, firefighters and 911 dispatchers were a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, the police, firefighters, and 911 are sacred,\u201d<\/a> Calvo said days after he was elected. \u201cThere are going to be big changes; that\u2019s what voters wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the proposed firefighter contract would provide 12% in raises over two years while the police agreement provides compounded salary increases ranging from roughly 25% to 30% over three years. The police increases are scheduled to extend through 2028, creating a significant difference in the compensation packages for the city\u2019s public-safety employees. Contract negotiations for the city\u2019s 911 employees are ongoing.<\/p>\n \u2018We are understaffed\u2019<\/p>\n Eric Johnson, president of the firefighters union, told city officials that the staffing problem is affecting the department.<\/p>\n Johnson looked around the room during the bargaining session and counted 11 firefighters who had already been hired by other departments and were expected to leave Hialeah.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are to the point now where either you\u2019re going to clearly demonstrate that you care for this fire department, or we\u2019re going to explore a merger,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n The proposed contract has renewed calls among some firefighters for a more permanent solution to the department\u2019s ongoing loss of personnel. For many, that solution would be a merger with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. While such a move would reduce the city\u2019s direct control over fire services, union leaders argue it could offer firefighters better pay and benefits while expanding services available to residents. City officials, however, have not seriously considered a merger in years.<\/p>\n Hialeah Firefighters Union President Eric, Johnson speaks to the city council D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n He said the city can recruit young firefighters, but retaining them is another matter.<\/p>\n \u201cI can recruit 18- and 19-year-olds all day long,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBut as soon as they see the pay scale and pension benefits somewhere else, they\u2019re going to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the union\u2019s data on firefighter attrition, 65 of the 149 recruits hired since 2018 have left Hialeah, many to join other agencies.<\/p>\n Union leaders described the pattern as a costly cycle for the city: Hialeah pays to recruit, train and equip new firefighters, but when a trained firefighter leaves for another agency, the department loses that employee and must fill the resulting vacancy, often at a premium overtime cost.<\/p>\n The repeated loss of trained firefighters, the union argues, means the city is not fully recovering its investment in recruitment, academy training, equipment and field experience before having to spend again to replace them.<\/p>\n The Herald has previously reported on the Hialeah fire department\u2019s staffing crisis. The department has about 226 firefighters, down from more than 300 in 2007, while responding to more than 31,000 fire and medical emergency calls each year.<\/p>\n READ MORE: \u2018Hialeah is no longer competitive\u2019: Why firefighters are leaving the department<\/a><\/p>\n The staffing shortage has forced the department to operate engines, ladder trucks and rescue units with three-person crews instead of four-person crews recommended by national fire-service organizations.<\/p>\n A fire engine responds to a call at the Hialeah Fire Station No.1, located at 93 E 5th St, Hialeah, FL 33010, on Friday, June 05, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n The union argues that simply approving additional positions will not solve the problem if Hialeah cannot offer competitive salaries and benefits.<\/p>\n Falling behind<\/p>\n In a comparative analysis prepared by the Hialeah firefighters\u2019 union, the organization examined its members\u2019 salaries against those of comparable departments in the county, including Miami, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables and Miami-Dade.<\/p>\n Johnson said that bringing Hialeah firefighters to the middle of the comparable departments would require a 24.63% increase in the first year alone, before specialty pay.<\/p>\n He also said Hialeah firefighters were previously about 7% behind Coral Gables across the board, without accounting for changes in specialty pay or pension benefits.<\/p>\n City officials disputed the union\u2019s assessment.<\/p>\n Torres, who remains a Hialeah police officer and will benefit from the police union agreement while holding an administrative position, said the city had compared its proposal with those of fire departments across Miami-Dade County and believed the offer would put Hialeah firefighters on par with those at other agencies.<\/p>\n Bello, the union\u2019s vice president, questioned the comparison presented by Torres and asked him to provide the analysis on which the city based its proposal. Torres replied that the analysis was a public record. The union, for its part, stated that its own analysis takes into account salaries, specialty pay, overtime, pensions and other benefits.<\/p>\n A Hialeah fire lieutenant with 10 years of experience earns just over $100,000 a year, the lowest salary among comparable fire departments in Miami-Dade County, according to the union\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n A lieutenant with the same experience in Miami Beach earns nearly $71,000 more annually, while counterparts at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the City of Miami earn about $20,000 and $25,000 more, respectively. Even Coral Gables, the next-lowest paying department in the comparison, pays more than $17,000 above Hialeah for a lieutenant at that experience level.<\/p>\n More than salary<\/p>\n The negotiations also cover vacation, pension benefits and health insurance.<\/p>\n Union members said firefighters should be able to take vacation based on budgeted staffing levels rather than actual staffing, arguing that employees should not be prevented from taking time off because the city has failed to recruit or retain enough firefighters.<\/p>\n They also warned that staffing shortages can increase overtime costs when firefighters are forced to cover shifts or adjust vacation schedules.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s proposal includes a temporary change to the pension plan that would allow eligible firefighters with 20 years of service to enter a deferred retirement option, reducing the current 25-year service requirement. The provision would expire on Sept. 30, 2028.<\/p>\n The union said the pension change could help some veteran firefighters but does not make up for what it considers an inadequate salary package.<\/p>\n Health insurance is another outstanding issue. Union members expressed concern about the financial burden cancer places on firefighters; they noted that several members are currently on leave due to the disease and that the health plan requires more equitable funding.<\/p>\n The current firefighter contract expires Sept. 30, and negotiations are continuing. The city is expected to return with another proposal.<\/p>\n For firefighters, the comparison with the police union contract has made the city\u2019s offer particularly difficult to accept.<\/p>\n Jacques Gazzola, a member of the firefighters union, said the disparate treatment is particularly frustrating.<\/p>\n \u201cOur mayor started off the press conference, walked right up to that dais, looked at everybody\u2019s face and said, \u2018It\u2019s a good day to be a Hialeah police officer,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to ask you: When is it going to be the time for us to stand at that dais and say, \u2018It\u2019s a good day to be a Hialeah firefighter\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n