“We plan on hiring, class to begin in January of 2027, and it takes quite a time to work through this selection process to find the right candidates for the job.”
That’s Grand Rapids Fire Department’s Deputy Chief Keith Borreson. He says the application period for GRFD positions begins March 1st and ends May 30th.
“Right now, we are fully staffed, but with a large urban fire department, we have people that are retiring every year, and so we need to replace those people, and the city of Grand Rapids is growing.”
The starting firefighter salary is just over $55,000 with paid sick leave, vacation and holidays, as well as tuition reimbursement and college incentive pay.
GRFD is also accepting Fire Cadet applications, a four-month paid opportunity. Its Fire Academy is a one-week summer program for teens ages 15-18.
“That is an opportunity for them to see what it is like to kind of go through the day in the life of a firefighter.”
More information can be found online at JoinGRFire.com
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