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Chief warns staffing thin as recruits fill academy seats and two employees depart
Summary
Officials said two employees moved out of state and several recruits are in the academy, leaving the department with short-term minimum-staffing needs; the chief said six recruits are expected to graduate in August and one later in September.
During the meeting, the chief reported the department had recently lost two employees to out-of-state moves and was relying on the academy pipeline to restore staffing.
"We have 2 employees that moved out of state, both to Texas," the chief said, adding that seven people were currently in the academy and about nine positions were affected—"almost a third of the workforce out there." He warned the department would at times have to operate stations at minimum staffing while recruits complete training.
The chief outlined the near-term plan for new hires and training: six recruits are expected to finish academy training on Aug. 22 and additional candidates are scheduled later; one conditional offer has already been accepted for a paramedic, who could be placed into training and moved to street duty when certification steps are completed.
Why it matters: the staffing shortage could temporarily reduce on-duty shifts and requires management of coverage until recruits are certified. The chief characterized the situation as timing-related rather than operational failure and asked the governing body to expect temporary minimum staffing at some stations.
No formal personnel actions were taken at the meeting; the chief said promotions and replacements would follow after individual resignations and background checks.
