Full time, part time, monthly, stipends, shift pay, meeting pay; the list goes on

Judging from a random sampling of local data, New Hampshire and Maine towns may have as many different financial arrangements with their fire and rescue chiefs as there are towns, themselves.

As Lebanon residents grapple with whether they want a full-time vs. a part-time chief, The Lebanon Voice surveyed a few area towns of different sizes and found a wide variance of arrangements and paychecks.

The proposed revised budget for Lebanon Fire and EMS calls for a full-time fire and EMS chief annual salary at a cost of $47,476 ($913/week) plus benefits, as opposed to last year's annual salary of $28,800 without benefits, a sizeable jump.

Lebanon's Fire and EMS revised budget up for debate on June 25 is around $416,500, about $34,000 less than the one rejected May 10.

The move to a full-time chief was among the reasons seen for the budget's overwhelming rejection.

But Alton, N.H., population around 6,000, in fact, pays its fire and rescue chief $1,250 per week for just 32 hours. That position, however, has no benefits.

Alton also pays the chief a one-time yearly payment of $2,400 every January just for not taking contributory town health insurance, according to town finance personnel.

Meanwhile, in Wakefield, N.H., population around 6,000, the finance office reported that their chief works varying hours for a stipend of just $10,000 a year. He also gets $15 an hour while on a call and $10 an hour when at official meetings with town officials.

Closer to Lebanon, Milton, with a population of about 5,500, pays its part-time fire and rescue chief a flat $36,000 a year with no benefits. His hours are flexible, "whatever it takes," said Cathy Wallingford of Milton Town Offices.

In Maine, North Berwick (population around 5,000) Town Manager Dwayne Morin said the town has split fire and ems, with monthly chiefs' stipends of $520 ($6,240 annual) and $550 ($6,600 annual) paid, respectively.

The fire chief also gets paid extra for calls, while the rescue chief also gets paid for some per diem shifts, Morin added.

Both are full-time firefighters in other towns. North Berwick's rescue budget this year is $249,700, while the fire budget is $129,000, Morin said.

Lastly, Berwick, with a population of 7,400, pays its fire and rescue chief an annual salary of $72,012 with an annual total compensation package of $100,417, according to Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge.