Idaho Falls Fire Department hires 15 new recruits
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Fire Department is proud to introduce 15 new firefighters to the community. The recruits graduated March 24 from a 10-week academy – the department’s largest recruit academy to date.
Surrounded by a room full of family and department personnel, the recruits were officially sworn in as firefighters by Fire Chief Duane Nelson. Loved ones pinned badges on the graduates’ uniforms.
“Becoming a firefighter has been a lifelong goal, and I am honored to be serving with the Idaho Falls Fire Department,” recruit Donovan Hendrix says in a news release.
The recruits were trained in-house by IFFD staff. They received training in areas such as fire behavior, wildland firefighting, rope rescue, forcible entry, vehicle extrication and Emergency Medical Services. The training culminated last week with a live burn where the recruits had the opportunity to experience a real structure fire scenario in a controlled, supervised environment.
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“By conducting the training ourselves, the recruits had the added benefit of early exposure to our staff, equipment and processes, so that as soon as they graduate they can hit the ground running,” Deputy Chief Paul Radford says in a news release.
“This academy was a large undertaking, and we thank all of our instructors for the additional time and expertise they invested in our next generation firefighters. We also thank our community partners who donated structures, building supplies or other items for the academy,” Radford added.
All recruits went through the standard public safety testing process, where they took a written exam. The top candidates moved on to the pass/fail physical agility test. Those who passed the physical agility test moved on to the first round of interviews with IFFD staff and union representatives, followed by a final interview with administrative chiefs.
The new firefighters have already received their shift assignments, with some starting immediately after graduation. They will remain probationary firefighters for the next year while they receive additional supervision and mentorship from department leadership and peers.
In 2022, the department was awarded a SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for the first three years’ wages and benefits for the new firefighters. The grant amounts to about $1 million a year. Ongoing investment in personnel beyond the three years will be paid for by Senate Bill 1283, which increased Medicaid reimbursements to EMS agencies.
“We welcome our new members and their families, and I look forward to getting to know them better in the coming months,” Nelson says in a news release. “Our current personnel have been running a steady increase in calls over the past few years, so getting these gentlemen on shift will relieve some of that pressure. They’ve all done a tremendous job juggling calls and changes that are inherent with growth. I commend them and their continued commitment to this department and our community.”
The 15 new recruits are:
Dillon Chandler from Pocatello.
Rowan Gartner from Kuna.
Thomas George, who moved to Idaho Falls in 2020 for a job with the Idaho National Laboratory Fire Department.
Blake Gil, who moved to Idaho Falls in 2017.
Sam Hansen (he declined to say where he is from)
Myles Harris, who moved to Idaho Falls in 2021.
Donovan Hendrix (he declined to say where he is from)
Kaleb Johnson from Ucon.
Sterling Kirkham from Blackfoot.
Ricky Kuciemba from California.
Coltin Marshall from Idaho Falls.
Paul Messick from the Shelley/Firth area.
Ronni Naggar, who moved to eastern Idaho from the Oregon Coast.
Cody Smith from Idaho Falls.
Ryan Taggart from Idaho Falls.