market they’re comparing us to has already moved.” The Firefighters’ Association said the solution is to start firefighters at $25 an hour. Smith said while this may seem like a big increase on paper, many of the hidden costs tied to turnover – overtime, rookie training, equipment, bunker gear and onboarding – would turn into savings “if we could retain experienced firefighters instead of constantly replacing them.” When asked what he thought would happen if the starting pay doesn’t increase enough to keep firefighters for longer than they are staying now, Smith said, “we’re already seeing the consequences.” “We just lost three people to Colleton County for a $30,000 pay raise,” Smith added. “So if we continue to do what we have done in the past, the same flawed results and attrition rates are going to keep happening. The real question becomes: How many lives saved or how much property protected does it take to justify that investment?” 6 IslandVibesIOP.com Wage study raises concerns over public safety pay, retention rates By L. C. Leach III Pitts calls it a career after keeping IOP streets clean for near quarter-century By L. C. Leach III NEWS When the new year began, Isle of Palms police and firefighters were hoping for new incentives to keep qualified personnel and hopefuls retained for the long haul. So far, those hopes have hit a standstill and concerns regarding competitive pay and turnover rates among public safety personnel have heightened. “Just this year alone, eight firefighters in our department have asked me to write letters of recommendation so they can apply to other departments,” said IOPFD Battalion Chief and South Carolina State Firefighters Association President Jason Smith. “The city often says that its employees are its most valued resource, but right now many employees feel like the actions we’re seeing don’t always support that statement.” Firefighters addressed these and other concerns regarding retention and recruitment struggles to 20 residents on March 1 during a town hall meeting at the Isle of Palms Exchange Club. “We are very grateful to the people who took time away from their families and busy schedules to come and listen,” Smith said. “Our goal was simple: we just want to be heard.” Part of being heard involved citing several vital facts: • IOPFD members not only fight fires, but serve as first responders for emergency medical care, hazardous material threats and personal rescues when necessary. • In 2025 through November, IOPFD had a turnover rate of 30% – higher than 2019, 2020 and 2021 combined. To help retain more firefighters and police, the city council approved this past September a wage and compensation study through Evergreen & Associates – a public sector consulting firm in Tallahassee, Florida – to keep both departments competitive for qualified public safety professionals. For example, the starting pay for new IOP firefighters is $49,000. This salary is based on 2,912 hours per year – 800 more per year than a normal 40-hour work week. Using these hours, Evergreen suggested moving starting firefighter pay to $53,045 – about $18.17 an hour. “And from our perspective, that simply isn’t competitive,” Smith said. “The data Evergreen used was based on numbers from other departments last year and many of those same departments received significant pay increases this past January. So the The next time healthcare executives experience a surge in employee turnover, they might consider consulting Donnie Pitts for a solution. Pitts is retiring this spring after 23 years as director of Isle of Palms Public Works. In all that time with him at the helm, the department has never had to fire or replace a single worker due to malcontent, job inefficiency, incompatibility or a career change. “We’ve had some retirements and one death due to COVID,” said Pitts, whose last official day will be May 5. “But of all the accomplishments and the changes we’ve implemented in the last two decades, the near-zero turnover rate in our department is the thing I am most proud of.” And that’s saying something, considering the increased scope of duties and expectations that residents and city leaders have come to expect from Pitts’ crews in the last decade. For example, when Pitts started as director in 2003, he had many of the same duties he has now: picking up household trash and yard debris; maintaining a fleet of vehicles; managing stormwater runoff and maintaining all the city’s beaches, green spaces and rights of way. Pitts also oversees the staff, develops an annual budget and keeps up with the island’s commercial contracts. Additionally, in times of routine island emergencies, such as hurricane weather, king tides and flooding, Pitts and his team are called on to clear inundated roads for safe and expedient passage, repair damaged storm drains and ensure that sewer systems are either working properly or fixed as soon as possible. But the difference now, Pitts said, is the growth of these duties. In July 2025, his team of 11 picked up a monthly high of 360 tons of household garbage – 70 tons more than in 2023. That’s for a population of approximately 4,400 residents, with a good chance of this number increasing another 300 tons by 2035. With visitors now numbering as many as 20,000 per day at the height of the summer season, it’s a daily race for Pitts and the team to meet the rising demand for their services and keep the island’s environment clean and healthy. If this all sounds like too much to handle, Pitts said it’s just all in a day’s work because of the relationship and trust that team members have. “The management style of friendship with staff and also knowing the supervisor role as well is critical,” he said. “Treating all of the staff as adults and allowing them to successfully complete their assignments without micromanaging is a main reason for our employee longevity.” When asked why he is leaving, Pitts simply said it’s time. “My career goal and plan was 25 years of service to retirement age,” he said. “And if there is one thing I would like to pass on to my successor, it’s that every situation, event, storm is different. And you must adjust to the real-time, unique circumstances that require different solutions to those issues.” Isle of Palms Public Works Director Donnie Pitts retires after 23 years.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1