The Urbandale Fire Department presented a new “pathway” program intended to recruit and develop prospective firefighters by engaging EMT students and high-school candidates early in training.

“...the pathway, is we're gonna hire or select interns. These are young people that are already in EMT classes that we will go through a selection process, 1 per shift, to say we think that you have the potential to be a good Urbandale firefighter. And they will be with us 1 day a week,” the Fire Chief said during the meeting.

The chief told council the program is designed to rebuild early connections with recruits that historically came through local training pipelines, and to spread the department’s competency requirements over a longer training window. He said the department will move selected interns from EMT training into a “Cert 1” phase when they complete EMT certification so they can begin functioning on an ambulance, and later into part-time status while completing firefighting training.

The chief described the department’s competency program as extensive—“about 60 pages long and has about 300 different things that they have to be able to show mastery of”—and said the pathway will allow staff to spread training over approximately nine months rather than compressing it into a six-month push. The department expects to begin outreach and applications in October with hires anticipated in January; the chief said the financial impact is already included in current budgets.

Council discussion clarified that the program will target participants who are enrolled in EMS programs (including high-school and DMACC programs) and that the state requires EMT candidates to be 18 years old to obtain certification. The chief also described physical and written tests that will remain part of advancement requirements.

No formal council action was requested; the presentation was provided as background and staff said the program is “baked in” financially and will proceed to recruitment and coordination with DMACC and area high schools.

The council requested notification when the department begins formal recruitment and application steps.