Firefighters Wanted: Albany Fire Department seeks applicants for career in firefighting

ALBANY — The Albany Fire Department is looking for a few good men and women to embark on a 16-week training course and earn the uniform for what could be a career in community service.

The department, which offers fire protection and emergency medical services throughout the city and Dougherty County, is seeking 22 qualified applicants to help fill its ranks.

Annual salaries start at $36,712 for individuals with no prior experience in the field, and for experienced firefighters the starting salary range is $38,636 to $57,081 per year.

“We just want to make sure the message is out there, so we can receive the highest-quality candidates we can,” Assistant Fire Chief Ken Turner said. A shortage of firefighters “is a problem not just here, it’s everywhere. All fire departments are wanting people.”

Candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, and pass a background check and drug screening. Applicants also must pass a pre-test that gauges reading comprehension and other skills.

“Today’s firefighters have more education,” Turner said.

The training helps newcomers to the field earn the five certifications necessary to become firefighters. Those are Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations and Hazardous Materials Technician. Trainees are paid and provided with uniforms during the training period.

Firefighters can face exposure to burning hazardous materials on the job, and the department’s goal is to make sure they have the best training and equipment to protect themselves, Turner said.

Among the physical requirements for the job is the ability to carry the roughly 60 pounds of gear that a fully equipped firefighter wears while at a fire scene.

The department has sufficient staffing to man the 11 stations scattered across the city and county, but the new recruits will fill in the bottom ranks for those who are being promoted.

In addition to fighting fires and fire safety programs, the department also has emergency medical personnel within its ranks and is looking to boost numbers in that category.

With more stations in more locations, the fire department is often able to arrive ahead of Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services to answer calls like heart attacks and accidents with injuries, Turner said. Certified EMTs and paramedics in its ranks also can respond to scenes when the ambulance service is busy with other calls.

In addition to the possibility of advancing through Emergency Medical Services, there also are other opportunities to advance, and the city offers reimbursement for education and training acquired outside work hours.

“There is room for advancement,” Turner said. “We do have a driver certification that we are looking to start doing in-house. We have a (SCUBA) dive team. We have specialties.”

Special Photo: AFD