Newark Fire Department bolsters roster with six new firefighters amid staffing challenges

The Newark Fire Department hired six new firefighters and paramedics this week to help bolster its personnel amidst staffing challenges.

The hires were sworn in during a ceremony Monday at Fire Station 1, 75 S. Fourth St. It came just days after Newark Mayor Jeff Hall announced the hires in a news release.

“Today was just another example of how we’re investing in the fire department and investing in the community,” Newark Fire Chief Brandon Metzger told The Advocate. “We’re super fortunate to have six high-caliber individuals that chose Newark, and we’re happy to welcome them on board.”

The additions bring the department’s staffing total to 85, Metzger said. He anticipates hiring five more people within the next few months to reach 90, a number the department set out to hit in 2024.

The department in the past few years has lost firefighters to Franklin County communities as it navigates turnover, retirements and competitive pay, much like many other public safety agencies.

Metzger cited the six hires, which were double the amount the department brought in around April, Hall’s administrative support and increased interest as helping Newark Fire tackle departures and reach staffing capacity.

Since January 2022, the department has hired 30 people, which includes the six added Monday, Deputy Fire Chief Doug Vermaaten said. Its starting salary is $49,374, he said, which is an increase from $40,000 in late 2022 , as The Advocate previously reported.

The salary remains well below other Ohio cities with comparable populations to Newark. In Cuyahoga Falls, the starting salary for a firefighter had been around $60,000 as of 2023. According to a 2022 job posting by the city of Lakewood, it had been offering around $57,000 to interested candidates.

"I'm not immune to the challenges of the highest bidder," Metzger said. "That's not to discredit the support we get from (Hall's) administration or the individual. It's a fact of life and going on in the private sector just as much.

"If you can make $10,000 working the same job somewhere else, with the way things currently are with the economy, people go do it. We're doing everything we can to work with the administration and make Newark one of the best places to be."

As of July 22, Metzger said the department had responded to about 250 more calls for service compared to the amount it received this time last year. He expects the total will be around 13,000 by the end of the year.

One of this week’s hires is in paramedic school, Metzger said. The others are expected to join them and complete it within three years, he said.

“Mayor Hall and his administration and the council’s legislative body have been very receptive to our needs,” Metzger said, “and they are providing us with everything we need to continue to hire.”

Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com .

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark Fire Department bolsters roster with six new firefighters amid staffing challenges