CINCINNATI — It’s the first week of training for Cincinnati Fire Department’s new recruits.
As CFD continues to battle staffing shortages, 55 people fill this new recruit class.
District Chief of Fire Training Hugh Hains said there have been many retirements recently. He said approximately 40 people have retired from the department every year for the last 4 years. There have been new recruits during that time, but they still weren’t able to keep up.
He also said the current staff has been stretched thin.
“They're willing to work a lot of overtime, they have sacrificed time off over the last couple of years to keep the fire department running,” Hains said. “But they're human beings and they get tired.”
These new recruits will help with some of those staffing issues. Though it's only week one of training for the next generation of firefighters, they're hitting the ground running.
"They’re slinging axes, sledge hammers, two-minute drills, we put on our PPE, personal protective equipment as fast as we can,” Lt. C.J. Battle said.
Throughout the next 21 weeks, they'll learn the ropes and find out what it takes to be a Cincinnati firefighter.
Friday, was their first challenge — the aerial ladder. All recruits make the climb 10 stories up, which is 109 feet off the ground.
It’s the first week of training for Cincinnati Fire Department’s 55 new recruits. Each recruit is climbing the aerial ladder for the first time— it’s ten stories, 109 feet up! Capt. Flagler says its both a physical and mental challenge. @WCPO pic.twitter.com/qFCkeoo6Sj
— Taylor Nimmo (@tnimms) June 16, 2023
“It's a little spooky up there,” Hains said. “It doesn't look like a lot but a little bit of a gust of wind and it feels like it’s moving"
Hains said it's important the recruits get comfortable with the fundamentals.
"It's absolutely critical. When somebody is trapped inside of a burning building, seconds count,” he said. “So by the time they graduate 21 weeks from now, they will have put their equipment on and taken it off hundreds of times.”
Soon it will become second nature, and Hains said he's excited for the future of CFD.
“We got a great crew right now. I'm pretty excited to be here," Hains said. "The city's in good hands.”
For those interested in applying to the CFD, click here to read the requirements.
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