HASTINGS, Neb. – The Hastings Fire and Rescue department is used to responding to emergency situations on a daily basis, but now a call for help from their own department is being answered by the Hastings City Council.

According to a letter sent to the city council by fire officials, the department has been short staffed for nearly a whole year, causing burn out, physical and mental strain, significant overtime work and low morale in staff.

Fire Chief Troy Vorderstrasse told NCN that the department is currently sitting at just under 90% fully staffed. 

That's causing 53% of shifts worked now to be classified as overtime work. 

"Based on our numbers, our current staffing, and the wear and tear on our current employees on our team, I believe this is warranted to maintain those that are already working here dedicated to the city of Hastings, to keep them from burnout, mental anguish, physical anguish, and keep them in our city, working for us, and spending their dollars here." said Vorderstrasse.

In response, HFR presented a request for a retention bonus for all current employees to the city council Monday night.

It’s identical to a program started by the Hastings Police Department back in 2022, and the letter says that program by the PD has been well received in the last three years.

The letter to the council says that in 2022, the former department head didn't feel like retention bonuses were warranted for
the department.

 These proposed fire department bonuses total to a combined $92,000 for current staff, which differs on each individuals' current service time.

Currently, Hastings Fire and Rescue line personnel work on a '24-hour on, 48-hour off' basis, meaning firefighters work one day, then get two days off.

However, fire officials told the city council that some individuals are forced to work two 24-hour shifts in a row without leaving the fire station because of the shortages.

"Our normal schedule for our line personnel is 24 hours on, 48 hours off," said Vorderstrasse. "We have a large number of people right now working 48 and having 24 hours off. It's to the point where it's affecting mental health, it's affecting things in the station. They're just worn out."

As far as where the funding is coming from, HFR says it will come from leftover payroll money, since many positions with the department remain open.

The retention bonuses range from $3,000-$6,000 for 1st year employees making the minimum, and staff members working 20 or more years making the maximum.

That money, once awarded, enters the service member into a one year service agreement, and they can keep the bonus unless they leave the department before the year is up.

After limited discussion, the seven present council members voted unanimously to approve the funding towards the fire department 7-0.

"My goal would be to retain those employees that we have right now that are dedicated doing the job protecting citizens," said Vorderstrasse. "If that's the case, we're not losing them, it's not so much a case of needing to entice people to come here, because we're already keeping our employees."

The fire department is hoping these bonuses will extinguish the trend of lost staff, as 19 HFR members have left the department for various reasons since 2022.

With the city council's unanimous approval, Hastings City staff say that the funds can be made available as soon as the end of the fiscal year in late September.