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Special City Council Meeting Thursday,July 18, 2013 Page 4 this year to pursue that hiring, but rather trying to focus on stabilizing in-house firefighters to complete their probationary status. Chief O'Neill advised that the department continues to look at different methods for developing a contract in which the City would provide a certain amount of training, but the firefighter would then in turn commit to work for Roseville for a number of years, or reimburse the department for that training. However, Chief O'Neill advised that such a requirement only served to limit the pool of interest even more. Also, since the average candidate was on the younger side, while a contractual agreement may be good for the department, a candidate firefighter was seldom in the financial position to reimburse or pay for their training. At the request of Councilmember McGehee, Chief O'Neill estimated the cost of training a firefighter during that 2-3 year period; with classes, payroll hours to get the candidate through all training, including haz mat, EMS, etc., the cost could be $10,000 or more per candidate. Councilmember McGehee opined that, if a firefighter chose to remain with the Roseville Department, a firefighter also was eligible for a good Defined Benefit Plan in addition to wages, all for a part-time employee. Mayor Roe clarified that new hires would not be included in the Defined Benefit Plan, but would have Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) retire- ment benefits. Chief O'Neill concurred, advising that the intent of changing to PERA was as an added incentive for candidates and the ability to transfer their service credits to other public employers; otherwise if leaving before they were vested with Rose- ville's Relief Association at ten(10) years,they lost those benefits. Identifying additional costs for each firefighter, Chief O'Neill advised that the av- erage fire turnout gear, which was custom fit, cost approximately $2,500 in addi- tion to equipment. Chief O'Neill noted that a new firefighter was new to the City, Department and firefighting, but after that short timeframe, if they walked out the door, that experience also left with them. As the City's older, more experienced firefighters left employment, Chief O'Neill noted that it would then leave the de- partment with a group of 3-5 year employees, and that it would take them a long time to gather all the skills necessary to see things from an experienced and safe operating environment. Every time it was necessary to start over, Chief O'Neill opined that is created a significant impact for the department; and without that experienced and historical expertise of long-term firefighters, the department re- mained in a constant teaching mode. Councilmember McGehee opined that, before adding the EMS component, there didn't seem to be as much turnover; and expressed her concern with firefighters