Missoula Fire Hiring New Firefighters at Rapid Pace
Missoula Fire just added the largest number of recruits in decades. And that number will double by mid-summer.
It's all part of the fire protection upgrade that Missoula voters approved last summer with a special mill levy.
Ten new firefighters graduated last week, and MFD leaders are already sorting through the new round of recruits this week. And I learned that's quite a process when I was invited to the graduation for the new firefighters.
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Thursday afternoon, we gathered in the Missoula City Council chambers to recognize the new firefighters, nine men, and one woman, who completed a rigorous three-month training course.
That course tested their physical and mental toughness, technical skills, and ability to work with a team in emergencies.
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Missoula's "fire family", literally!
Not only are the new recruits now part of the MFD "family", two of them really are family.
Caden and Grady Venters are following their dad, long-time Captain Garrett Venters into Missoula firefighting. Both praised their father for being not examples to them but to the entire department.
"It's been a great career so far," Garrett told me after the ceremony. "My wife and I are so proud of Caden and Grady. It's taken them five years to build their resume and get hired. It's a lot of work."
Like many of the recruits, the brothers got their college training in fire science at MSU Billings and then worked in smaller departments, and as wildland firefighters.
MFD leaders give big thanks to the voters
"They wanted more support in the streets," says Deputy Fire Chief Philip Keating.
"They knew our call volume was increasing, and our response times were taking an impact. And so this this was perfect. This is what they asked for."
Is Missoula hiring more firefighters?
This week the department is beginning the process of sorting through 161 applicants for the next 10 openings.
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Gallery Credit: Ashley