On Monday firefighters will be training for their third annual recruiting academy. It’s the largest one to date with 17 new recruits going through a four-month academy process. Local firefighters from all three Tri-City departments will join to train new people with local equipment, procedures and tactics. At the academy recruits will learn technical aspects from pulling hose to ventilating and E.M.S. Previously recruits had to train for the state but firefighters say it’s a benefit to train locally now. "For us its exciting because now they learn our skills the way we want things to be done in the fire scene or on the E.M.S scene,” said Battalion Chief James Hempstead. Firefighters say the academy has added an additional week for emergency medical service training and recruits will become familiar with the medical equipment they use.