After already losing a quarter of the department, the remaining firefighters were asked a simple question:
“How likely are you to leave after your next payout?”
The responses are worth careful attention. The answers paint a troubling picture of where things are headed.
Out of 102 firefighters who responded:
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- 37% said they are likely or highly likely to leave
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- 22% said they are not sure
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- The remainder said they are unlikely or highly unlikely to leave
This means that a majority of remaining firefighters are either considering leaving or are uncertain about their future with the department.
Put plainly: nearly 6 out of every 10 remaining firefighters are either considering leaving or actively planning to do so.
And remember, this is after Troy has already lost roughly 25% of its firefighters from when the pensions were taken away.
This Is a Warning, Not a Complaint
These numbers are not about dissatisfaction in the abstract. They reflect:
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- A broken incentive structure
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- A lack of recognition and respect
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- Uncertainty about the future
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- A city unwilling to meaningfully engage with the people keeping residents safe
Firefighters are telling the city exactly what will happen if nothing changes. This is not speculation. It is a forecast.
The City Walked Away, Again
An incentive committee meeting was scheduled for this week, where these findings were supposed to be presented and discussed.
The city canceled it.
Once again, Troy walked away from the negotiating table.
This has become a pattern:
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- Delay meaningful conversations
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- Cancel meetings when accountability is required
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- Hope attrition slows down on its own
It hasn’t, and it won’t.
Why This Should Concern Every Resident
Firefighters do not leave in a vacuum.
When experienced firefighters leave:
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- Response times increase
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- Institutional knowledge disappears
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- Training costs rise
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- Remaining firefighters are stretched thinner
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- Public safety risks grow
Troy cannot hire its way out of this problem overnight, especially in a region where nearly every neighboring department is understaffed and Troy refuses to pay a legal wage to its firefighters.
The math simply does not work.
Firefighters Can’t Do This Alone
It has become clear that firefighters cannot get the attention of City Council on their own.
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- Showing up politely.
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- Waiting patiently.
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- Trusting the process.
None of that has worked.
If residents want a safe, reliable fire department, they must speak up too. Pressure does not come from silence, it comes from collective action.
A Call to Action
These firefighters are not asking for special treatment.
They are asking for fairness, stability, and respect.
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- The data is clear.
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- The attrition is real.
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- The warning signs are flashing.
Now the question is whether the city will act, or whether residents will have to force the issue.
If you care about public safety in Troy, now is the time to pay attention, and to help apply pressure for real change.