Charleston firefighters gathered outside of City Council on Wednesday seeking higher pay

Charleston, South Carolina – As we already reported recently, Charleston firefighters are seeking higher pay since the current pay doesn’t meet the rising prices and the overall standard in the city.

On Wednesday night, a group of Charleston firefighters once again expressed their disappointment and they gathered in front of the City Council to call for higher wages for entry-level positions.

According to the firefighters, the current pay makes the job unattractive for new applicants amid workers shortage. In addition to that, firefighters say they can’t even afford home within the city limits with the current wage making them move outside the city limits and therefore travel much longer getting to work.

“We want to be comparable to our peers at the city as well other municipalities in the area around the country and we want to be able to retain and attract qualified applicants going forward,” firefighter Nathan Gates said.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said he heard firefighter’s voice and their requests. He also confirmed he has directed the city’s human resources department to review the salary and report back with recommendations within 90 days.

“As we saw so clearly once again this week at the Palms Apartments, our firefighters and police officers are the real, everyday heroes of Charleston, and we need to make sure we’re standing by them, the same way they always stand by our citizens,” Teckelburg said in a statement.