BURBANK : Fire Department Adds 19 Recruits
The Burbank Fire Department has hired 19 probationary firefighters, its largest group of recruits ever, officials said Monday.
All of the recruits must still complete a 10-week course before becoming full-fledged firefighters. If they pass, the new hires will replace the department’s retiring firefighters and alleviate the overtime required of other firefighters, Battalion Chief Mario Gagnon said.
“The reason (the recruitment class) is so large is we had cutbacks a few years back,” he said. “We lost six firefighters’ positions, so we were able to get these positions back.
“The service will be the same, but there will be less wear and tear on our firefighters.”
The department presently has 122 firefighters, Gagnon said. With some retirements expected soon, the department will be up to 133 after the recruits complete training.
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