What's Happening in Meridian, ID…

The Meridian Fire Department (MFD) is looking to expand its team by 40%.

Such departments often promote these kinds of positions throughout the community with poster printing and other printed materials.

There will be two new fire stations opening in the fall of next year, which means that the MFD will need to staff a minimum of nine firefighters per station. The MFD plans to hire and train five administrative/executive people and 30 firefighters by the time these new stations open. The additional stations and staff are needed to keep up with the rapid growth in the region.

Jordan Reese, chief of training for the MFD, said this is an exciting time for the city but there is a great deal of development and training that comes with this expansion. He said that firefighting is a selective occupation, and the department gets hundreds of applications for only a handful of entry-level positions.

There are currently nine firefighters attending the fall lateral academy of MFD. Lateral firefighters are from other fire departments and have some experience in the area. The lateral academy lasts for five weeks as opposed to an academy of 16 weeks for entry-level positions. The lateral academy teaches operations that are specific to the department.

Reese said it is important to have both experienced and new firefighters, as this provides a good balance to the team.