When battalion chief Shane Gardner decided to join the Long Lake Fire Department (LLFD) back in 2000, he drove to the station, interviewed with the chief and was able to start training soon after. Since then, the LLFD have changed their application process.
“Back then, the process was a lot easier. There wasn’t as much red tape involved. Back then, if you lived in a certain proximity and if you like them and they liked you, you were given a chance,” he said.
The LLFD has approximately 32 current firefighters; however, the department is equipped to fully staff 50 firefighters. According to Gardner, the department has never been fully staffed since his time there began. Gardner has been apart of the department’s recruitment efforts for eight years and recently started a recruitment committee, which is made up of firefighters and spouses who try to get as creative as possible to attract new personal and retain current membership.