SIDE LETTER OF AGREEMENT TO 2023-2026 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA
AND
NON-SAFETY LOCAL 2180 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS
This attests to and records the agreement of the City of Chula Vista and Non-Safety IAFF Local 2180 regarding modifications to the current Memorandum of Understanding (for period July 11, 2023 – June 30, 2026).
a. Amend Article 2.01 Wages, Section (I) Salary and Equity Adjustments, Subsection (b) Paramedic (Non-Safety) (ii), to read as follows:
7% (2% + additional 5%) salary adjustment effective the first full pay period of January 2024 (equity)
b. Add new Article 2.06.5 entitled “Paramedic (Non-Safety) Continuous Experience Incentive Pay”, as follows:
Paramedic Employees shall receive Continuous Experience Incentive pay equal to 2% of their base pay for every five (5) years of continuous full-time experience as a licensed paramedic in a prehospital transport program or comparable program (nurse, nurse practitioner, or similar experience in a comparable environment may be considered.) The Fire Chief has the sole and unfettered authority to determine if a comparable program would be eligible.
Eligible employees shall receive this pay as follows:
Years of Continuous Full-
Time Paramedic Service
Incentive Pay
(% of base salary)
At least 5 but less than 10 2%
At least 10 but less than 15 4%
At least 15 but less than 20 6%
At least 20 but less than 25 8%
25 years or more 10%
Only one of the pay amounts listed in the above chart may be paid and they are not cumulative.
This benefit is offered at the discretion of the City Manager. No employees hired after June 30, 2026, shall be eligible for this pay.
c. Enhance Paramedic Scholarship Program
Amend ARTICLE 2.14 PARAMEDIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM to read as follows:
I. Annually, the Fire Chief will determine if there is a need to provide a Paramedic Scholarship Program and, in the Fire Chief’s sole discretion, determine whether or not to award any EMT the opportunity to participate in the Paramedic Scholarship Program.
II. The Chula Vista Fire Department will use an application and interview process for the paramedic candidates interested in attending a department-sponsored Paramedic Scholarship Program. The Fire Chief’s decision is final and there shall be no appeal or grievance allowed.
III. The Department will offer the following Paramedic Scholarship Program in support of employees who wish to attend paramedic school:
A. The Department will reimburse all tuition fees (registration, exams, required textbooks, health, parking pass, fingerprint, etc.) associated with attendance in paramedic school at Southwestern College or a school designated by the City over 24 months upon successful completion of paramedic school and field training at the department.
B. The Department will provide early release from duty to employees who are attending paramedic classes, didactic and clinical when necessary. Force-hire procedures for staffing will bump down to the next employee during scheduled paramedic training days.
C. The Department has the right to ask the employee to provide a letter from the school confirming attendance at scheduled paramedic training.
D. Ride-a-Long Hours: The Department will provide release time or paid time (straight or overtime), up to the full minimum hours of the required time (for ride-a-long experience (as determined by the preapproved paramedic training curriculum). The selection of r elease or paid time (straight or overtime) will be at the sole and unfettered discretion of the Fire Chief . All additional non-mandatory ride-a-long hours are at the employee’s expense. If further hours are mandated by the program/department those mandated hours may be covered if the employee provides documentation of the requirement from the school.
E. Clinical/Field Internship: The Department will provide release time or paid time (straight or overtime) , up to the full minimum hour requirement (180 hours Clinical/480 hours Field Internship) of the clinical and field internship phase performed during regularly scheduled work hours at the time of acceptance into the paramedic scholarship program, as determined by the Department. Release or paid time (straight or overtime) will be at the sole and unfettered discretion of the Fire Chief. If an employee is required to complete additional hours of clinical/field internship, approval for any additional hours is at the sole and unfettered discretion of the Fire Chief.
F. The Paramedic Scholarship Program candidate will retain full-time benefits and commit to working a minimum of (5) shifts per month through the didactic, ride - along, and clinical segments of Paramedic School.
IV. The terms of paramedic scholarships shall be subject to a Paramedic Scholarship Agreement.
V. The Department-sponsored paramedic employee will serve a minimum of two (2) year obligation as a paramedic with the CVFD (from the time they receive California EMT-P licensure) prior to requesting to leave the program.
VI. Hourly personnel may be used to backfill behind Paramedic Scholarship Program candidate vacancies.
d. AMEND ARTICLE 2.08 FIELD TRAINING OFFICER to state:
Local 2180 represented employees who are designated as Field Training Officers (FTOs) or Preceptors by the City, for the purpose of training and certifying new Paramedic and EMT trainees (also referred to as “trainee”) as assigned by the Fire Chief and when the trainees are assigned to an ambulance, FTOs and Preceptors will receive 5% additional compensation to base pay when they are actually engaged as FTOs or Preceptors and training the Paramedic and EMT trainees. In order to qualify for the additional compensation, the employee must first complete department required training for the Preceptor/FTO position.
Any extensions for field training or preceptor time beyond the standard training will be at the sole and unfettered discretion of the Fire Chief.
Employees shall not be considered Preceptor/FTOs or receive Preceptor/FTO compensation when they are assigned to the training division.
e. Add new Article 2.14.5, entitled Paramedic School Contract Buy Out, as follows:
At the sole and unfettered discretion of the City Manager/Fire Chief, the City of Chula Vista may provide a buyout up to the full amount of expenses for an accredited paramedic school paid for by a current/previous employer. The one-time educational stipend will cover what the employee was obligated by the form of contract or employment agreement to pay back to a current/previous employer upon separation of employment with them. In exchange for this one-time educational stipend, the employee will sign an agreement committing to remain working with the CVFD as a full-time paramedic for a period of two years from the date of successful completion of field training (as defined in CVFD policies). As part of the agreement, the employe acknowledges and agrees that should their employment relationship with the City of Chula Vista terminate prior to serving the full two years (24 months) of employment described above, for any reason, they will be responsible for paying back the balance of the one-time educational stipend upon termination/separation. The employee will receive prorated credit for each month of work completed until the end of the full two years (24 months). If the employee fails to make full payment pursuant to a repayment agreement, the City of Chula Vista will pursue any and all legal remedies to recover the amount due.
f. Except as expressly provided herein, all other terms and conditions of the 2023- 2026 MOU shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.
This Side Letter of Agreement shall expire on June 30, 2026, and shall not apply to any person hired after June 30, 2026, unless extended by mutual written agreement of the parties and approved by the Chula Vista City Council.
For the City: For IAFF:
_____________________________ _____________________________ Tanya Tomlinson, Darrell Roberts,
Assistant Director of Human Resources President, IAFF Local 2180