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Petition highlights concern over staffing pressures amid rising public safety demands

POLK COUNTY—A petition circulating in Polk County is asking local leaders to raise firefighter pay and invest more in long-term staffing and retention support.

The petition, which has gathered more than 600 signatures, claims that the average salary for firefighters in Polk County is approximately $30,450 — a figure it says is about $20,000 lower than the North Carolina state average of $50,425. 

Virginia Purdy, the organizer of the petition on Change.org, says that low wages for emergency personnel result in the community being underserved.

“Honestly, when it comes down to it, the people in our community have been underserved. The firefighters have been doing the serving, but they’re being underserved,” said Purdy, a first responder and Polk County resident. “Theres been a lack of funding for quite a while. These are community servants, but they aren’t getting the support they need. These are folks that have grown up here, they are some of our best resources.”

The petition does not call for new taxes. Instead, it asks county leaders to reassess existing budget priorities and consider directing more of the current emergency services funding toward increased firefighter compensation and recruitment incentives.

Supporters are also requesting more public involvement in fire department funding decisions. They’ve proposed department-based listening sessions and the creation of a sustainability committee to study how to retain trained emergency personnel.

“Polk County does not directly set the salaries for the firefighters at the local fire departments,” explained Polk County Public Information Officer Kellie Cannon. “In the case of Tryon Fire Department, the municipality handles firefighter compensation while the other departments are overseen by boards of directors responsible for those decisions. 

“If a fire department needs to propose increases for pay, equipment or operational costs, the Fire Chief presents these requests to the board of directors, then to the Fire Tax Commission followed by the Fire and Rescue Advisory Committee, with the Polk County Board of Commissioners making the final decision.”

This multi-step process, while designed for oversight, can add time and complexity to funding discussions, particularly when urgent staffing concerns arise.

“Firefighter pay is established by the 501c3 non-profit board of directors and is supported by the fire tax of the jurisdiction serving, not the general fund,” added County Manager Marche Pittman. “The general fund is where the public safety increases are demonstrated, not firefighters. This funding is for paramedics, law enforcemnt, etc.”

Pittman says it’s a complex problem that isn’t easy to explain or solve.

“You have to differentiate between the funding source for public safety and firefighters,” Pittman continued. “One is funded from one source (fire tax) and the other is financed through another (general fund). The general fund for public safety has increased salaries over 35% since 2019.”

An underlying driver of the petition appears to be concern that recent increases in the county’s emergency services budget have not translated into higher pay for firefighters or improved staffing support. While public safety funding in Polk County reportedly grew from $7.78 million in 2021 to over $12 million by 2025, petition organizers say they see little evidence that frontline personnel are benefiting from those increases. 

The effort has sparked conversation about the challenges faced by both paid and volunteer firefighters, particularly during prolonged emergencies such as the recent wildfires.

*This article has been updated with additional information.