City officials will use a $1.8 million federal grant to hire 14 new firefighters for at least two years, officials said Thursday.
The new firefighters will allow every squad in the city to be fully staffed for the first time, fire Chief Chris Adams said. Currently, five fire stations in the city are working with four-man teams on fire trucks when they ideally need five-man teams.
The grant will fill those holes and allow every squad to have five members. The city expects to hire the new recruits on Sept. 30 to begin training, Adams said.
The grant will fund the positions for two years, and then the city will need to decide whether to keep funding the spots.
Mayor Andy Berke said the fact that the department rolled out Quick Response Vehicles in 2015 was a key part of why the city received the grant this year. The SUVs, filled with medical supplies and staffed by two firefighters, help firefighters get to medical calls more quickly.