By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- • Approximately 150 members of the Greensboro Fire Department attended a June 2026 Greensboro City Council meeting to formally advocate for the inclusion of a special separation allowance for firefighters in the city’s upcoming fiscal year budget.
- • A special separation allowance is a retirement bridge benefit currently available to North Carolina law enforcement officers — including Greensboro police officers — that provides retirement income to eligible personnel who retire before age 62, when Social Security benefits become available.
- • Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro President Dave Coker stated the benefit would cost less than 1% of City Manager Trey Davis’ $913 million recommended budget and would make the department a more competitive employer across North Carolina.
- • Only one council member, Councilman Adam Marshall, publicly declared support for the benefit during the meeting; Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth and Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter expressed appreciation for the department without committing to the request.
- • The Greensboro City Council is expected to vote on the FY27 budget on June 16, 2026.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Approximately 150 members of the Greensboro Fire Department filled Greensboro City Council chambers during a June 2026 meeting to publicly support the inclusion of a special separation allowance for firefighters in the city’s upcoming fiscal year budget — a benefit currently available to the city’s police officers but not its fire service personnel.
A special separation allowance is a retirement bridge benefit established under North Carolina law that provides retirement income to qualifying public safety employees who retire before age 62, at which point they become eligible for Social Security. Under the current state framework, the benefit applies to officers who have completed 30 years of service or have reached age 55 with at least five years of credited service. Greensboro police officers already receive this benefit; the firefighters’ push would extend equivalent coverage to fire department personnel.
Dave Coker, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro, said the estimated cost of adding the benefit would represent less than 1% of City Manager Trey Davis’ $913 million recommended budget. Coker characterized the allowance as a tool for positioning the department as a preferred employer and argued it would support the city’s ability to attract and retain qualified firefighters over the long term.
Martin Barrow, a recruitment coordinator for the Greensboro Fire Department, described the allowance as a significant recruitment asset and said its absence places Greensboro at a disadvantage relative to other fire agencies across the state that already offer the benefit. “Special separation allowance sends a clear message that Greensboro values the men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting this great community,” Barrow said.
During the meeting, Councilman Adam Marshall was the only council member to state clear support for the benefit. “I think this is a benefit we need to provide,” Marshall said, adding that firefighters who protect the community every day deserve equivalent protections for themselves and their families. Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth and Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter each expressed appreciation for the department’s service but did not publicly commit to supporting the budget request. The Greensboro City Council is scheduled to vote on the FY27 budget on June 16, 2026.
