Washington, D.C. firefighters receive retroactive salary increase
A 9.5 percent pay raise for uniformed District of Columbia firefighters was approved in the Fiscal Year 1998 District of Columbia Appropriation passed by Congress on November 19, 1997. The raise was contingent on the D.C. Fire Department`s realizing $2.3 million in savings initiatives, which were matched with $2.6 million in federal funds from the D.C. appropriations bill, according to the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI). The pay raise had to be approved by the D.C. City Council and the Control Board before it could be implemented; therefore, the pay adjustment was made retroactive to December 21, 1997, explains the CFSI.