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The Marion Board of Aldermen on Tuesday took action to provide first responders with the tools they need with the approval of a contract to test fire equipment and discussion about raising police officers’ pay.

Fire Chief Ray Cantrell said fire hoses must be tested each year to make sure they are still in workable condition. The hoses are required to hold a certain pressure, around 300 psi, for 15 to 20 minutes to pass the test, he said.

While firefighters used to test the equipment themselves, he said, recent changes to state law now require Marion Volunteer Fire Department have its equipment tested by an independent party.

“It’s something the state mandates now, so we’re going to have to be doing it every year from this point on,” he said.

The cost of the fire hose testing is set at approximately $3,000 per year.

Cantrell said testing will also need to be done to ensure the workability of the department’s extendable ladders. An exact price, which is calculated based on the length of the ladder, was not immediately available.

Mayor Larry Gill said the fire department has the funds available to cover the cost of the testing.

In other business, Alderwoman Stacy Blalock said she wants to work toward developing a plan to raise pay for Marion’s police officers. A recent conversation with an officer made her aware of the difficulty the department faced in finding enough people to fill the shifts, and part of the reason behind that struggle is the lack of competitive pay, she said.

Blalock called for the Board of Aldermen to develop a plan to raise pay and incentivize officers to come to work for Marion Police Department.

“I would give up my alderman pay to increase police pay. You see what I’m saying,” she said. “I don’t do this for the money. I do this for the town of Marion, and I just feel like they need to be compensated more because we shouldn’t have to struggle to find police officers to work part time.”

Finding police officers is not a problem that is unique to Marion. Both Meridian Police Department and Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department are dealing with similar manpower issues, as are law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Although it is unlikely the Board of Aldermen will be able to immediately raise police pay to the same level as larger cities and counties, Blalock said having a plan in place will help Marion in the future.

Mayor Larry Gill said there are several avenues to explore when it comes to the police department’s staffing, including looking at the balance of full-time and part-time officers, overtime eligibility and more. Marion is growing town, he said, and all of the city’s departments will need to be equipped to grow along with it.