FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orleans Parish Communication District
Announces Market Rate Adjustment Pay Increase for All OPCD Employees
NEW ORLEANS (November 21, 2019) – The Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) has announced plans to provide a 5% market rate adjustment pay increase for all OPCD employees beginning January of 2020.
In an effort to remain competitive with salaries offered by surrounding emergency communications centers, OPCD Executive Director, Tyrell Morris, included the across-the-board pay increase in the agency’s proposed 2020 budget, which the OPCD Board of Commissioners unanimously approved earlier this month.
“This pay increase has been a long time coming,” stated Morris. “OPCD employs some of the best Emergency Communications Specialists (ECS) in the world, but they have unfortunately not seen a market rate adjustment pay increase since 2008. That is simply unacceptable. Our heroes under the headset deserve to have all resources necessary for success, and I consider fair compensation to be one of those resources.”
“Added to that, starting salaries for OPCD staff have fallen well below those of surrounding agencies over the past few years, allowing opportunities for employees to look a few miles down the road for higher pay,” continued Morris. “The board of commissioners and I could not allow that to continue, so we made it a priority this year to increase salaries across the board. While this increase still leaves OPCD below the current market, it definitely moves us in the right direction in a fiscally responsible way.”
The 5% pay increase for all OPCD employees will start effectively on December 29, 2019 at 7:00 a.m. and will be reflected on the first employee pay period of 2020.
About Orleans Parish Communications District (www.911nola.org)
Formed in 1982, the Orleans Parish Communication District is the public safety answering point (PSAP) for all emergency communications via 9-1-1 within Orleans Parish. The agency employs over 140 individuals and provides emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch, and emergency police dispatch for the millions of annual visitors and residents of the City of New Orleans. OPCD is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
OPCD Contact:
Marcus W. Creel, MS
OPCD Public Engagement Manager
601.319.2024
[email protected]
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