Springfield – Missouri: Ten new firefighters will join the Springfield Fire Department during a graduation ceremony Thursday, but just because they’re nearing the end of the academy doesn’t mean the department is taking it easy on them.

The 10 recruits battled a purposely set diesel-fueled blaze Monday while several veteran members of the department watched — all of whom were in full fire gear amid blistering temperatures.
The fire was set in an old water tank at the department’s training grounds, which used to be the city’s wastewater treatment plant. More than 150 gallons of fuel were set ablaze to demonstrate the different techniques used to put out fuel fires.
Although fighting fires is an obvious part of the eight-week academy, Assistant Fire Chief Randy Villines said the program is much more than just lugging around hoses.
“There’s a lot more to the firefighting career than most people understand,” he said.
Recruits spend a lot of time in the classroom, Villines said, preparing for the mental necessities of fighting fires.
“You never know the situation you could be in at any moment’s notice,” he said, emphasizing that being mentally prepared is just as important as physical fitness.
Villines said the soon-to-be rookies seem enthusiastic to start, and so do the veterans.
With the influx of 10 new firefighters, the daily rotating closures of fire stations will end, Villines said, although the department won’t be fully staffed until the next seven recruits complete the upcoming academy starting next week.
The funding for the positions comes from a grant and the money freed up by the implementation of the 3/4-cent sales tax.
The sales tax was a voter-approved measure to fund the city’s fire and police pension fund. It freed up money previously funneled from the city’s budget.
That money is now being put toward hiring police and firefighters.
The $1.3 million federal SAFER grant will pay for 13 of the new full-time firefighters for two years. Fire Chief David Hall said he intends to continue funding those positions after the two years are up.