Fresno Fire Department continues to add to staff

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- These firefighters have earned their spot with the Fresno Fire Department following Friday's graduation ceremony.

Eighteen men and two women will now be called upon to run toward danger at a moment's notice to help keep the community safe.

"They're going to go to work immediately and run probably 15 calls in a day," says Chief Kerri Donis.

Fresno is considered one of the busiest departments in the state. So far this year, crews have responded to more than 6,700 fire calls and more than 44,000 total calls for service.

The new crew members will allow Fresno Fire to increase its daily staffing from 81 firefighters on duty to 88. That's the most ever in the city.

Chief Donis is thankful for the new hires but says it's still not enough considering the volume of calls they receive and the more than half-million people they serve.

"This is a very busy fire department with very few firefighters and we have very few fire stations compared to most metro departments our size," she said.

Following nine weeks of intensive training, the recruiting class is ready to take the field as early as Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, we have a lot of fires in this city and those fires are increasing in a rapid fashion, which is the exact reason we need new firefighters, more firefighters," says Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

The new class will also allow the department to staff three new units to primarily respond to medical emergencies while leaving engines to remain available for other incidents.