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Wilmington fire chief outlines recruitment, accreditation and EMS plans as union warns of staffing strain
Summary
Chief Keith Looney presented a broad review of the Wilmington Fire Department covering recruitment, promotions, accreditation and EMS on March 10; he said Saint Francis will stop providing ambulance service in July 2025 and the city is considering bringing EMS in‑house.
Chief Keith Looney reviewed the Wilmington Fire Department’s work on recruitment, training, accreditation, promotions and EMS at the Public Safety Committee meeting on March 10.
Looney said the department has not conducted a formal, department‑led diversity training program to date; the training unit has been tasked to schedule such training through Human Resources. He said personnel attended recent harassment training that included diversity, equity and inclusion elements conducted by an external legal firm.
On recruitment and hiring, Looney said the department recruits year‑round through wilmingtondefirecareers.com, visits to high schools and colleges, community resource fairs, social media, billboard advertising and a ride‑along program. He said an interest card on the city website generated “several hundred” submissions and that the most recent hiring cycle produced 56 applicants.
Looney said promotional written exams and assessments used a third‑party vendor (Fire & Police Selections, Inc.) and…
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