Former Great Bend Fire Chief Mike Napolitano. Napolitano served as Chief from 1998-2017.
The Great Bend Fire Department works with a chain of command like most other fire departments of similar size. You have your Fire Chief on top then Battalion Chiefs, Captains, and different levels of firefighters. A Battalion Chief is expected to make more money than Captains but that has not always been the case for years in Great Bend.
Great Bend Fire Chief Luke McCormick spent two years conducting an analysis on the pay rates for Battalion Chiefs’ rates at the Fire Department. His numbers showed that despite Battalion Chiefs being a higher-ranked position than Captains, the Captains were often getting paid more because of a pay classification.
Great Bend Human Resources Director Randy Keasling says Battalion Chiefs were exempt staff getting a salary while Captains were nonexempt with hourly rates. Keasling says the compression issue affects the Battalion Chiefs’ rates with many mandatory obligations happening on their own time.
Randy Keasling Audio
Keasling has been the HR Director since December of 2017 and McCormick was approved as Fire Chief on September 18, 2017. McCormick replaced Mike Napolitano after Napolitano retired in September after 43 years with the department.
The Great Bend City Council found out the pay discrepancies have been going on for years, not being altered since 2002.
Brock McPherson, Luke McCormick, and Mike Boys Audio
The city council approved the change in position classifications for Battalion Chiefs from a salaried position to an hourly position with a 7-1 vote.
Fire Captains can receive a minimum of $38,636 and a maximum of $59,650 a year. The minimum for Battalion Chiefs is $41,184 with a maximum of $66,092. Battalion Chief positions will be paid according to the new format with the December 31, 2017 payroll period.