VIDEO: The Kenosha Fire Department is facing a challenge hitting many communities in trying to find enough people to fill vacant positions.
As recently as five years ago, the department said they would have more than a thousand applicants for each yearly recruiting class, which consists of about 18 members. This past year, they only had 170 applicants. Larger numbers of retirees in the last few years mean they're stepping up their recruitment efforts, while at the same time, trying to draw more minorities into the department.
The 2023 class of Kenosha Fire Department recruits are nearly ready to hit the streets after 13 weeks of training at the department's own training grounds and classrooms.
"It's an exciting career, it's a challenging career, it gives you a lot of satisfaction helping citizens in their time of need," Division Chief Scott Krueger said.