Atlanta Fire Rescue reports staffing gains, new training center and multiple station upgrades
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Summary
At the May 12 committee meeting, Atlanta Fire Rescue reported net hiring gains, new training capacity at the Public Safety Training Center, multiple station renovations and planned new stations including Station 30 and Station 26, and said the department is filling vacancies while expanding recruitment and school‑to‑work partnerships.
Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Rod Smith told the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee on May 12 that the department is increasing recruitment, has opened a new public safety training center and is proceeding with station construction and fleet upgrades.
Chief Smith said the department’s sworn headcount is improving and that morale has risen since investments in facilities and equipment; he outlined new and planned station projects, recent vehicle deliveries, and recruitment partnerships with Atlanta Technical College and local high schools.
“We currently have 118 recruits in our midst,” Chief Smith said, adding that the department’s standing firefighter complement is 1,007 including airport personnel and that it was about 30 positions short of that mark at the time of the briefing. Smith described the new Public Safety Training Center as a ‘‘game changer’’ for joint training with the police department and for increasing throughput for recruit classes.
The chief reviewed operational metrics: a 11.9% increase in downtown calls for service for the quarter and an increase in advanced life support (ALS) EMS calls linked to multi‑vehicle crashes and pedestrian accidents; hazmat calls and other service calls also rose, largely because of weather events. He said inspection counts were temporarily depressed by attrition in the inspection unit but will recover as hires complete certifications.
On facilities and fleet, Smith said the department completed ribbon cuttings and openings (Station 22), broke ground on Stations 30 and 26 and plans additional groundbreakings for Stations 25 and 31. He reported delivery and activation of reserve pumpers, TDA support trucks, battalion vehicles and EMS units, and noted the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation donated two Rivian vehicles for EMS support. Smith said a fleet‑replacement plan is in place with annual ordering to maintain equipment replacement cycles.
Chief Smith also described a new high‑school partnership that allows eleventh‑ and twelfth‑grade students to begin Atlanta Technical College coursework that can lead to careers in firefighting. Councilmembers praised the training center and the department’s outreach; they asked for lists of civilian and entry‑level positions that do not require state firefighting certifications so those roles can be filled via local job fairs.
Committee members asked about Station 16 — a historically significant Westside station — and Councilmember Byron Amos urged planning that honors the site’s history while moving ahead with renovation. Chief Smith said station projects would be prioritized in upcoming budget cycles and agreed to follow up with specific timelines and funding status. No formal votes were taken on AFRD items during the meeting.
