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‘We will see resignations’: Atlanta firefighter union says 2025 pay is inadequate

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‘We will see resignations’: Atlanta firefighter union says 2025 pay is inadequate


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Tuesday, roughly two dozen Atlanta firefighters showed up to the Atlanta City Council appealing to city leaders to increase their pay plan for 2025.

“If the plan doesn’t change, we will see resignations,” said Nate Bailey, president of Atlanta Professional Firefighters, the union representing roughly 600 Atlanta firefighters and paramedics.

Bailey said the city suddenly removed four large cities – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia – when calculating the 2025 budget for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD), a change that decreased the overall salary budget by roughly $5 million, said Bailey.

“We need to increase the staffing, and the only way to do that is good pension and competitive salaries,” said Bailey.

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Bailey said there are currently roughly 860 firefighters in the department. He said the ideal size is 1,100 members.

Atlanta News First reached out to AFRD to get a sense of their department size. A spokesperson has not responded to that request.

Bailey said he fears firefighters will leave Atlanta for higher-paying departments should the pay scale not be adjusted.

A city spokesperson told Atlanta News First that Mayor Andre Dickens’ commitment to first responders has been clear since he took office.

The city has invested roughly $105 million into Atlanta fire equipment and facilities under the Dickens administration, according to a city spokesperson.

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The city said they’ve also increased starting salaries for critical fire positions by 15 to 37 percent since 2022.

“There is always more work to be done. However, Mayor Dickens and City Council have made significant investments in the men and women of AFRD, their facilities and the equipment they use to keep our communities safe,” said a city spokesperson.

The current pay scale would increase the salary for every firefighter and every employee by at least 2 percent.

Bailey recognized the increase, but said that does not match market value and fears the pay will leave the department inadequately staffed.

“It’s a safety issue. It’s a huge safety issue,” Bailey said. “We already have firefighters work 48 hours straight, sometimes even 50-52 hours without sleep, because we have some of the busiest engine companies in the country. So it means more overtime shifts, it means less safe firefighters.”

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Atlanta, GA

Fire at Chamblee apartment complex displaces more than 75 residents, closes businesses

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Fire at Chamblee apartment complex displaces more than 75 residents, closes businesses


A fire at a Chamblee apartment and retail complex displaced more than 75 people and caused a partial roof collapse, according to DeKalb County Fire Rescue.

Fire crews responded around 4:37 p.m. Sunday to the Windsor Parkview Apartments along Peachtree Boulevard after reports of a fire on the roof.

DeKalb County Fire Rescue said that crews arrived to find heavy fire coming from the roof and immediately began evacuating people from the building.

Officials said the fire quickly spread across a portion of the roof, leading to a partial collapse.

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Thankfully, firefighters said most of the damage appeared to be confined to the roof area.

Dozens of people were displaced on Mother’s Day after a fire broke out at a Chamblee apartment complex.

CBS News Atlanta


Many of the people living at the complex spent Monday waiting for answers about when they may be allowed back inside. Some told CBS News Atlanta they were especially worried about pets and belongings left behind during the evacuation.

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“We didn’t have to evacuate, as we were both already out of the house for Mother’s Day stuff. But we still have all of our stuff up in the apartment, and we have two cats that are up there, and we’re trying to figure out what exactly the plan is to get all that out of there,” said resident Thomas Wheeler. Hours later, Wheeler and his girlfriend were reunited with their cats.

Others said the uncertainty following the fire has been frustrating.

“There’s just a lot of people around with not a ton of information. The red cross was here. We got to interact with them. It was really a great experience at the Red Cross,” said resident Macy Trego.

The fire also impacted businesses located beneath the apartments.
Some workers told CBS News Atlanta they still do not know when they may be able to return to work.

“I’ve gotta get paid. Rent is high right now,” said Jeremy Snyder, who works at one of the businesses below the apartments.

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Windsor Communities released a statement Monday saying it is working with the Red Cross to help displaced tenants.

“We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s fire at Windsor Parkview Apartments, and our immediate focus is on supporting the residents and families impacted by this incident,” a Windsor Communities spokesperson said. “We are grateful to the first responders and local agencies whose swift actions helped ensure residents were safely evacuated and cared for during a very difficult situation.”

The company also said it is maintaining communication with people impacted by the fire while investigators continue working to determine the cause.

Fire officials said the fire may have started from an air conditioning unit on the roof, though the exact cause remains under investigation.

Windsor Parkview opened in 2021 as part of Chamblee’s redevelopment efforts along the Peachtree Boulevard corridor. CBS News Atlanta has also reached out to the City of Chamblee for additional information about the development’s role in the city’s broader revitalization plans.

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Atlanta, GA

Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street

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Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street


Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.

What we know:

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The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.

The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.

Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.

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Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.

What you can do:

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Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.

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Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results

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Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results


The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.

Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?

1. Who could they take with the pick?

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We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.

While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.

There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.

The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.

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In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.

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If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?

While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.

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As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.

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The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?

What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.

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3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?

Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.

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It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.

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