CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Fire Department is still looking to fill its fall academy. Its current class has already lost one recruit, bringing them down to 54.
Firefighters will admit the department is not keeping up with the number of people retiring. Last June, District Chief of Fire Training Hugh Hains said approximately 40 people have retired from the department every year for the last four years. There have been new recruits during that time, but they still weren’t able to keep up.
"This is a job that can kill you, you kind of have to be a jack of all trades," said Matt Alter, president of the Cincinnati Firefighters Union Local 48. "For the fire department to see applications down 60, 70, 80% is something that's new to us."
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Alter said he feels CFD, just like other departments nationwide, could use some help.
Fairfield Township Fire Department partners with Butler Tech, around the corner from the fire station, where some of their firefighters and paramedics train both adults and high school students to join the ranks.
"It keeps us stocked with new people at the end of the school year. We get a lot of applicants from that," said Fire Chief Tim Thomas. "It's to be open-minded and look at all avenues of communication with candidates. We don't wait for them to completely graduate before they know us."
Thomas said there are still challenges they face just like other fire departments.
"We're a little on the low side — we're not at the bottom, but there's certainly room for us to improve that to attract more candidates," Thomas said.
Starting salary for the Fairfield Township Fire Department is around $51,000, compared to Cincinnati where firefighters make between $63,442.31- $80,191.72 once they've completed the academy. Fairfield Township also doesn't have a fire academy, so people are still required to have all of their training completed before they become a firefighter.
"All those little programs and things pay off, it just takes time and it's a process," said Thomas.
Alter spoke on whether CFD could do a similar partnership with schools like Fairfield Township.
"I know that Cincinnati Public Schools is looking to do a program very similar to like Butler Tech or Scarlett Oaks, some of those high school programs, but they do have their own challenges of their own," Alter said.
Alter said the city does have a full-time recruiter for the department and the city was awarded a grant through the governor's office that helps with outreach programs. He said the city used to do a cadet program twice a year, but the idea is to make this a year-round program.
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