Firefighters in hot demand

Editor’s note: This article as originally published mis-stated the age limit for call-firefighter applicants to the Wareham Fire Department. According to Massachusetts General Law, all full-time or call firefighters are required to leave or retire by the age of 65. This has been corrected as of Monday, Aug. 12, 5:30 p.m.

A statewide shortage of call firefighters has ignited a recruitment drive to bolster the brigade at the Wareham Fire Department.

According to Fire Chief John Kelley, the department is short on call firefighters.

“We’re down in numbers from where we’d normally be in our call force,” he said.

As a “combination department,” the Wareham Fire Department has both full time and call firefighters, according to Kelley. Call firefighters are paid per call to respond to incidents, which can come at any time of day or night, according to Kelley. 

The call system is a “great system” for the Wareham Fire Department, Kelley said.

But the department still needs more firepower.

The Wareham Fire Department has started recruitment for its next batch of call firefighters to address lower-than-normal numbers, according to Kelley.

The shortage is part of a national trend that has fizzled firefighting force numbers across Massachusetts and the country.

“This is industry wide,” Kelley said. “Even across the Commonwealth there’s so many departments that are struggling with trying to recruit and retain firefighters as a whole.”

Kelley said that the department is looking to fill positions in its outlying stations like in Shangri-La and East Wareham. He said that they are looking to fill at least 12 positions for call firefighters.

To become a firefighter, applicants must pass the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, an intensive program in which graduates receive required firefighting certifications.

According to Kelley, the job of a firefighter can be both physically and mentally demanding.

“You really want somebody that’s well rounded, that’s open-minded,” Kelley said.

With the long list of ideal requirements, Kelley said it’s still been hard to get and keep firefighters in Wareham.

“It’s really difficult for us to try to be attracting people,” Kelley said. “It just seems like there’s not a lot of people that are trying to get involved in public safety in general.”

But even if it’s not the popular choice, Kelley still likes the job.

“To me, I think it’s the best job in the world, being a firefighter,” he said.