Mobile Fire-Rescue Department is growing its ranks for the first time since 2013, welcoming a class of 30 new recruits this week outside its training academy on Owens Street.
Mayor Sandy Stimpson greeted the group Monday morning, describing the recruits as a highly qualified and diverse class chosen from roughly 90 applicants. Every recruit selected already held at least a basic medic certification, and all but a handful arrived already certified to fight fires.
Officials say those existing certifications will save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in training costs, since the recruits won’t need the full training timeline required for applicants starting from scratch. That savings, city leaders say, could make it possible to bring on a second recruit class later this year, something that would help address long-standing understaffing concerns within the department.
Fire Chief Billy Pappas called the new class a significant boost for the department’s staffing levels. Part of the cost savings traces back to a change in how the department’s training academy is accredited. About a year and a half ago, the academy gained approval to hold classes locally rather than sending recruits to train in Tuscaloosa, cutting costs tied to travel, lodging and meals for months-long training stints.
A department spokesman said the recruits are learning far more than firefighting fundamentals — training includes operating in full protective gear with limited oxygen supply, a physically demanding element of the job that takes weeks to master.
Recruits who had already completed portions of their training were expected to be assigned to fire trucks within 30 days, officials said, which should help relieve reliance on overtime staffing to fill gaps in coverage.
City officials have previously pointed to budget constraints as a driver of MFRD’s staffing challenges, noting the fire department has ranked among city departments with the highest overtime costs in recent years. Officials plan to hold similar recruit classes roughly every 18 months going forward, depending on staffing needs and interest from applicants.