SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Since the early 2000s, the population in Sun Prairie has been increasing at a dramatic rate.
That increase is forcing the Sun Prairie Fire Department to shift their recruiting efforts in order to keep up with a rising number of calls.
Sun Prairie Fire Chief and Acting EMS Chief Chris Garrison said every fire truck should be equipped with four people when going out on calls.
Due to staffing shortages, Garrison said many departments can’t make that happen.
“You have a certified driver, a certified fire officer and two firefighters,” said Garrison. “That’s what we are trying to get here in Sun Prairie, that every fire engine that leaves the door has four qualified people for the safety of the crew.”
Garrison said it’s even more important to get a team of 15 to 20 firefighters on all fire scenes for the safety of the crew and the community.
“The problem is, people coming out of high school aren’t looking for a job that will take them away from their home and their families 24 hours a day,” said Garrison. “This job has never been good hourly-wise for families.”
Sun Prairie firefighters are required to attend 12 of 24 drills, 6 of 12 business meetings and 25% of all fire calls during the year.
That, combined with Sun Prairie’s rapid population growth, has forced Garrison to get creative with his recruitment efforts.
“We started the Next Gen Program and what this program does, it brings students into the fire service early,” said Garrison. “They can go to school and learn to be a firefighter at the same time.”
Through this program, the fire department works in collaboration with the Madison Area Technical College and the Sun Prairie High School to bring in young recruits.
Colton Butzine is a part-time firefighter with the Sun Prairie Fire Department. He was recruited through the Next Gen Program.
“I love the job, I love the fire service, I love doing it and having another part-time job where I get to field that craft is just good to me,” said Butzine.
Most of Butzine’s family are first responders. He said he couldn’t see himself doing anything else.
“It is almost like a hobby sometimes and if it doesn’t feel like work, then it is a good deal,” said Butzine.
So far, Garrison has been able to recruit 15 students, including Butzine, from the Next Gen Program. It has helped to keep up with the growing population.
In 2015, when Garrison started working in Sun Prairie, there were only seven firefighters. Today, the station has 20 firefighters and requires 30 to be at full staff.
“If you know the growth of Sun Prairie, it is very hard to keep up with,” said Garrison. “We need to find ways to ease the strain on our residents and our taxpayers and this program is one that does it.”
To apply to become part of the Sun Prairie Fire Department, you can follow this link.