Wisconsin firefighter training, job openings across state
RACINE COUNTY, Wis. - As fire departments across Wisconsin face staffing shortages, dozens of firefighter trainees were put to the test Saturday, Dec. 16.
Roughly 50 aspiring firefighters and EMS workers took on a variety of challenges in Kansasville to get certified.
"A lot of moving pieces at once," said Bailey Reza, a firefighter and paramedic.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
On top of the risks and challenges EMS workers like Reza face each day, departments with fewer staff members are putting out more fires.
"Unfortunately, we don’t have people banging down doors anymore to get into the fire service," Reza said. "I am currently on three departments, stretching myself to fill roles for communities."
Firefighter/EMS training and certification in Kansasville
"When I started, you competed against hundreds of people to get a job. Now you are lucky if you can get dozens of people to take out an application," said John Dahms, fire program coordinator at Gateway Technical College.
According to a 2023 report from the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, nearly 80% of EMS agencies were called to cover an emergency in a neighboring community, and more than 40% of departments reported not having enough staff to even respond to a call.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
That is part of the reason why Reza said she wanted to be a firefighter. Saturday, she was among the dozens of trainees who were officially certified.
"The inspiration to keep going is to make sure I can fill those roles and encourage others to," she said.
Firefighter/EMS training and certification in Kansasville
Dahms said he hopes more people will step up and see how rewarding the job can be.
"Once people get a chance to experience what these students are experiencing, that are training, it becomes addictive," said Dahms. "This becomes a, ‘I really want to spend my life doing this.’"
Many fire departments will sponsor people interested in getting certified as an EMT, paramedic or firefighter.