TEXAS — Texas is expected to grow anywhere between 3 to 5 million people by the next decade, according to the nonpartisan research group Texas 2036. As that happens, firefighter groups across the state say they need more people to join the public safety industry.
When that 911 call comes in, Prosper Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame says his team is ready. But it’s taken a lot of work to find the right crew.
“I hate to see the decline though,” said Blasingame. “It’s a lot harder today to get personnel than what it was even seven to eight years ago.”
Overall, he’s noticed less interest from students in fire services along with a limited number of fire academies. Plus, growth is a huge factor too.
“With that comes additional people, comes additional stations with a need for additional personnel,” said Blasingame.
Prosper Fire even lowered its hiring requirements after seeing a drop in certifications. They now offer hybrid classes to train new recruits up to standard.
“The numbers declined to a point where we had to lower that to ‘firefighter EMT basic’ and now we send them to paramedic school, if we can’t get them as a paramedic when we hire them on,” said Blasingame.
Thirty minutes south, a Carrollton fire truck backs into a classroom.
“We can simulate an actual ambulance and patient contacts and run through scenarios,” said Alec Martin, the fire academy instructor for Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District.
Here students are getting training in high school.
“I want to be in the medical field past college and stuff, so it was a good opportunity,” said Layla, a student at the fire academy. “I joined for the EMT program, but I like firefighting.”
They’ll leave with both a basic firefighter and EMT certification.
“That’s 90% of what most cities require for entry firefighters…These guys have a tremendous leg up to be able to graduate at 18 and be employable,” said Martin.
A few cities are looking for triple certifications too, like Ferris and Heath, hoping they can find someone also trained in law enforcement.
“Whether it’s fire side or whether it’s the police side, we need good people in both, and it’s just getting harder and harder to fill those spots,” said Blasingame.
But for now, these eager students at the CFBISD fire academy are a good sign that help is on the way, even for the local fire department.
“I wish all the school districts were able to do that,” said Blasingame. “It helps everybody.”