Port’s search finds dearth of full-time firefighters

Port Washington Fire Chief Mark Mitchell had hoped to hire a full-time firefighter/paramedic by June, but that probably won’t happen.

Mitchell told the Police and Fire Commission last week that only two people applied for the job, and neither met the city’s requirements for the post.

“I was very, very, very surprised,” Mitchell said.

But, he said, all departments seem to be facing the same problem.

“If we recruit them, they don’t stay,” he said. “Even the paid departments are having trouble with recruitment and retention.”

One applicant was likely overqualified, Mitchell said, but he had certifications from Illinois, not Wisconsin, and there is no reciprocity between the states.

The other submitted a last-minute application that was likely rushed, he said.

To help draw more applicants, he asked the commission to increase the proposed salary from $45,000 annually to $50,000 and to make some changes to the requirements for the position.

The initial requirement included having certifications for firefighter 1 and 2, paramedic, driver-operator and pumper and fire inspector 1.

Mitchell asked the commission to ease that by allowing the new employee to get their driver-operator-pumper and fire inspection certifications within a year of employment.

The new employee would still need to have the firefighter 1 and 2 certifications and the paramedic certification, he said, and have a valid driver’s license.

In addition, Mitchell proposed that the residency requirement be eased a bit, allowing the new employee to live within a 20-mile radius of the city instead of a 15-mile radius.

The commission agreed.

Mitchell said he believes these changes, along with the fact that a new group of graduates from fire school will be entering the market soon, will help draw more applicants.

But, he warned, “There’s a lot of competition out there. Everyone’s looking.”

Commission Chairman Rick Nelson said the salary increase alone will likely draw more people.

“There are places, little places, to the north paying more with better benefits,” he said.

“I think it’s good to bump that salary up,” commission member Patty Ruth said.

Mitchell said he does not know what the new timeline to bring on the new employee will be, but said it could happen as early as July.

The commission approved hiring the firefighter-paramedic last year after Mitchell — who was the department’s first full-time employee — said the position is needed to ensure the city has a paramedic to staff the ambulance around the clock.

The fire and ambulance departments will continue to be primarily staffed by volunteers, he said, but there is a need to supplement the force with a paid employee.

He told the commission he would like to hire three fighter-paramedics over the next several years as area fire departments find it more and more difficult to hire the personnel they need.

“What we’re doing now is not a reliable way to do business. I don’t know how long we can hold off,” he told the commission last year, noting that he’s been relying on two of the department’s paramedics who handle 90% of the calls.

The call volume has increased 70% over the last five years, Mitchell said at the time, noting that in August the department handled 100 ambulance calls and 20 paramedic intercepts — the highest numbers since he’s been in Port.