Proposal Would Axe Winston-Salem, NC, Firefighters' Sick Leave in Half

    April 17, 2025
    "Morale is already low in the fire department," Winston-Salem Professional Firefighters Local President Ashton Parrinello said.

    A proposal the reduce the sick hours of Winston-Salem firefighters isn't being received well.

    Firefighters now get 288 hours of sick leave annually. If the measure is passed by city officials, they will only receive 134 hours. 

    "Morale is already low in the fire department. And it seems as though they're kicking us while we're down," Ashton Parrinello, Winston-Salem Professional Firefighters Local president told WXII. 

    We're exposed to carcinogens, toxins, cancers on a daily basis. Not only that, but every medical call we go on there's a chance that we're at risk of getting some kind of illness from that." he added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    About the Author

    Susan Nicol | News Editor

    Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues. 

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