Fire departments are facing staffing shortages as veteran firefighters retire and volunteer numbers drop. But over the last two years, the program has been helping departments bring in more candidates from more diverse backgrounds.
Apprentices receive full benefits and a minimum salary of $3,800 per month while they complete their training. The program also covers the cost of the five community college-level classes apprentices are required to take.
鈥淲hat the apprenticeship does is provide you that security of a paycheck while you鈥檙e learning the trade,鈥� said Karl Koenig, president of the .
Koenig said the program has made the fire service more approachable to candidates who hadn鈥檛 considered it as a career option or who couldn鈥檛 afford to become an unpaid volunteer.
Ari Bakoss used to work in the tech industry as a product designer. She wasn鈥檛 happy working a desk job, especially after her work became fully remote during the pandemic.
She had always been intrigued by the fire service, but with no connections in the industry, making the switch seemed daunting. And with a mortgage and student loans to consider, she didn鈥檛 know if she could afford the time commitment of volunteering.
鈥淚t definitely felt like, 鈥極K鈥� be prepared to set aside four to five years for volunteering and getting to know folks in that industry to really feel like there鈥檚 a potential shot at the next hiring circuit,鈥欌�� Bakoss said.
As an apprentice, Bakoss was able to receive her EMT certification and complete 4,000 hours of on-the-job training with no previous experience.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e really helping you build those bread-and-butter skills foundationally from square one,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no pretending like you know more than you do. You鈥檙e accepted for where you are in the process.鈥�
Bakoss recently completed her apprenticeship and started as a full-time firefighter and EMT at Clackamas Fire last month. She said she loves being out in the community and never quite knowing what each day might bring.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly satisfying. I never got that level of excitement or purposefulness in my previous job, Bakoss said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what my life would look like right now if this hadn鈥檛 happened.鈥�
Candidates can for the Oregon Fire Apprenticeship program through participating fire departments.
Karl Koenig and Ari Bakoss with 鈥淭hink Out Loud鈥� host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:
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