11 New Firefighters Hired, Expected to Start Shifts in November

Eleven firefighters have accepted employment offers from the Orland Fire Protection District, and their formal training is expected to start next month.

Six of the newly hired firefighters are from the original list of , only to be . The board voted in favor of .

The new hires’ first task as part of Orland Fire will be to complete an eight-week training program scheduled to start in September, before working actual shifts in November, Orland Fire Chief Ken Brucki said during Tuesday night’s fire district board meeting.

“Upon completion they will be fully orientated into the district and we’ll put them on shift immediately,” Brucki said. “We’re a little bit ahead of schedule.  We’re going to realize the impact or the reduction of our overtime costs before the end of the year.”

Prior to selecting candidates, Brucki said the district asked those still eligible to take another physical examination, and to submit to another background check.

“A few things can come up in a 16-month period,” Brucki said.

The original psychological examinations from 2011 were accepted, but they were reviewed again, Brucki said.

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The first four weeks will be physical and practical trainings, including standalone skills and full rescue and fire scenarios, Brucki said. The following four weeks will include different district departments and more specialized skill areas, such as hazardous materials, Brucki said.

But even after the eight weeks, the hires will still be considered probationary firefighters until they successfully complete a full year with the district, Brucki said. After the eight week training, the hires will receive a large binder with skill benchmarks and “practical evolutions” that they are expected to complete during the first year, Brucki said.

“If they are all lucky enough we’ll be pinning a badge on them in a year from now,” Brucki said. “Until then they are probationary firefighters.”

Meeting Minutes Approval On Hold

Orland fire trustees were scheduled to vote on releasing minutes from closed session meetings, though they decided to hold that vote until the next board meeting scheduled for Sept. 25.

Board president James Hickey did not attend Tuesday night’s meeting.

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