photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

LDCFM Firetruck Ladder 5 in July 2023.

City of Lawrence administrators and the local firefighters union have come to a new working agreement, resolving a previous impasse in negotiations.

The city and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1596, which represents firefighters and other emergency personnel employed by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, ratified a new Memorandum of Understanding, the two groups announced in a release Saturday.

The Journal-World previously reported the two sides had reached an impasse over three issues in negotiations, which could have required intervention by the City Commission if there was no agreement. Now a public hearing won’t be necessary after the two sides reached an agreement that will replace the previous MOU, which was set to expire Dec. 31, 2024.

Casey Toomay, Lawrence’s assistant city manager, said one of the biggest priorities in the negotiations with the IAFF was to provide market competitive wages, and this agreement goes a long way to achieving that goal and will benefit the city and firefighters.

“This new agreement represents a significant step in the direction of providing competitive wages and benefits for our fire medical personnel and underscores the City’s commitment to having engaged and empowered teams,” Toomay said. The other issues between the groups have not been disclosed.

Seamus Albritton, president for the Local 1596 IAFF, said he appreciated the commitment of the city in continuing and eventually finalizing the negotiations.

“We appreciate the investment in a solution that works for all parties,” Albritton said.