Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Recruiting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dallas Fire-Rescue reports upcoming academy class, cites desire to serve as top motivator for applicants
Summary
Assistant Chief Delrish Williams and Deputy Chief Steven Lopez told the Public Safety Committee that Dallas Fire-Rescue will start a recruit class May 21 and that applicants most commonly cite a desire to serve as their primary motivation.
Assistant Chief Delrish Williams and Deputy Chief Steven Lopez presented Dallas Fire-Rescue’s monthly recruiting and retention update to the Public Safety Committee.
Williams said DFR lost seven members in April and did not onboard new hires that month because the next academy class starts May 21, when the department will bring in 35 fire-rescue officer trainees and 10 fire prevention education and inspection trainees.
For fiscal year 2025 the department reported 79 members lost to attrition and is projecting 60 hires for the fiscal year, Williams said. The department’s data showed personal reasons as the largest category of attrition; Williams said those reasons can include relocating, discovering shift work doesn’t fit expectations, or other career changes.
On applicants’ motivations, Williams said the leading motivating factor remained a “desire to serve,” at 93% in the department’s survey. The report also showed word-of-mouth and the DFR website as top referral sources.
Williams also previewed May materials: a signing day at Roosevelt High School for students entering a 2029 graduation pathway into the fire academy, which will appear in a future monthly memo.
Committee members asked no substantive follow-ups beyond the presented slides; staff and council members thanked the department and requested the regular monthly metrics continue.
