Marion County Fire Rescue boosts recruitment amid national shortage

Battalion Chief Brent Murray addresses 96 candidates prior to test beginning of recruit event.

Marion County Fire Rescue is ramping up efforts to support locals interested in firefighting careers as departments across the country struggle to fill their ranks.

According to a 2023 report by FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration, “in recent years there has been a steady decline in the number of firefighters in the nation. This decline is impacting all department types, leaving the communities they serve vulnerable to threats, and increasing the stresses among firefighters and municipalities. It is imperative that we invest in programs and initiatives to incentivize individuals to join volunteer, combination, and career fire departments.”

Currently, MCFR has 51 open positions for firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, but saw success with a recent recruitment event held at Brick City Park on July 12.

According to James Lucas, a spokesperson for the department, the event drew 97 candidates who were “required to complete a series of physical benchmarks, including 25 push-ups in two minutes, 45 sit-ups in two minutes, and a 1.5-mile run completed in under 12 minutes and 30 seconds.”

Out of the 97, 54 candidates advanced to the second qualifying round that “tested firefighting-specific skills such as ladder climbs, the Keiser sled strike, dummy drags, hose and nozzle connections, and a charged hose line drag.”

“In total, 46 candidates successfully completed both assessments—marking the largest number of applicants ever progressing to the next phase of the Non-Certified Recruit Academy,” wrote Lucas.

Offers were made by the department to 40 of those candidates. The county will cover the cost of firefighter and EMT training, valued at $6,700, in exchange for a three-year commitment to MCFR following successful completion of the program.

However, Chief Drew Rogers said MCFR’s arrangement with the State Fire College—where department instructors are utilized—provides the county with cost savings of approximately $2,200 per trainee.

“And, if the trainee does not keep his three-year contract, then they will have to pay the county back for the tuition,” Rogers explained.

Fire union negotiations with the department are scheduled for Aug. 11. The results of those talks have become increasingly important as fire departments across the state and nation compete for qualified personnel.

Adding another element to the staffing challenges is the recent signing of House Bill 929 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The measure updates the Florida Firefighters Occupational Safety and Health Act by expanding its scope to include occupational diseases and suicide prevention.

The bill sets a cap on standard firefighter shifts at 42 hours per week to reduce burnout. MCFR currently schedules firefighters for 56 hours a week.

There is also growing awareness around national staffing recommendations that call for no fewer than four firefighters per engine. That standard gained renewed attention following a tragic fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, that resulted in nine deaths and 30 injuries.

In that case, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Edward Kelly, emphasized the four-person staffing standard, noting that only two of Fall River’s 10 companies met that threshold.

While MCFR may have sufficient staffing at some stations, when paramedics are away on separate calls, only three personnel may remain on the engine. Those scenarios have raised concerns among some fire chiefs, particularly for larger incidents, and have been a topic in previous union negotiations.