PERRY, Ga. — The Perry Fire Department is making some pretty big changes when it comes to staffing.
According to Fire Chief Lee Parker, they're hiring three full-timers and plan to let go of part-time firefighters from neighboring counties.
Parker says right now the department uses help from part-timers whenever there's a vacancy on a shift, but those firefighters are full-timers elsewhere.
He says hiring three full-time fire employees will make better use of their budget and resources.
“Hiring three people right now is going to put an additional person on each shift, which will bring our total staffing to 13 every day. That's going to help us in emergency responses, help us in doing the job that we're out there doing whether it be EMS calls or putting fires out,” said Parker.
Assistant Fire Chief Kirk Crumpton says their call volume is up.
“We usually average anywhere [from] 200-230 calls a month. I think last month we were over 300 calls for the month, so our call volume has definitely been on the increase,” said Crumpton.
Crumpton says having more hands on deck will make them more efficient.
“Efficiency means better timely response, and in the event of an emergency, that could mean the difference between life or death,” said Crumpton.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends 17 firefighters per shift. The department hopes to climb higher in their ISO rating -- Class One is the best.
“We will receive a ISO Class Three rating as of December 1,” said Parker.
They say these changes will help them keep up with Perry's population boom.
“It's no secret that Perry's growing, we see that repeatedly. We just like to try to maintain a proactive stance there and stay ahead of that curve to make sure that we're able to keep up with the needs of the citizens,” said Crumpton.
Parker says you can apply right now. They hope to fill those three spots immediately.