Fire department reports new recruit class, seeks fall recruitment cycle; command vehicle tested ahead of NFL draft

Fire Chief Love told the Police and Fire Commission that a newly hired class of fire recruits has started training and was conducting live‑burn training during the meeting day.

The chief said the recruits have been learning department operations and “they're actually doing some live burn training today,” and described an ongoing schedule of role rotations and additional training weeks to complete the academy. The commission heard a request to begin a recruitment cycle targeting a potential fall hiring class, using the department’s online application system, Public Safety Answers, for initial vetting and distributing candidate certifications. Staff said they expect an application window of roughly four to six weeks and planned to schedule commission interviews in June if the timeline holds. No formal motion or recorded vote to authorize the recruitment cycle appears in the public record; staff noted the city council must fund positions and that administrative staffing dollars are already in place.

Chief Love also reported the department’s combined police‑fire command vehicle is on site for systems testing, describing several days of IT and equipment checks and saying the vehicle has been used at senior‑staff meetings in preparation for the NFL draft: “We had our senior staff meeting… regarding the NFL draft and that work will continue until we get to the draft itself,” he said. Commissioners were invited to view the vehicle at a later date.

Why it matters: Recruitment and academy throughput affect the fire department’s ability to staff suppression and medical response; the command vehicle and draft planning are operational preparations for a high‑profile event requiring interagency coordination.