MISSOULA — The Missoula City Council on Wednesday officially confirmed nine new firefighters — a large rookie class funded in part by the recently passed fire levy.
Fire Chief Lonnie Rash said members of the new crew all completed their probationary training and will help grow the department's ranks at a time when growth has stretched the department's response times.
“This is the first group that was hired underneath the fire levy,” said Rash. “This group is known as the current Rookie Class 1.0. You'll soon be seeing 2.0 in the next couple months.”
Voters in 2024 passed the fire levy, which generates up to $7 million annually to support growth within the department. The funding will help the department build a sixth fire station and provide the fire company needed to staff it.
The funding is partially offset by the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, Rash said.
The new firefighters completed the 12-week fire academy and received training in fire suppression, medical emergencies, vehicle extraction, hazardous materials, and others.
“With the passage of the levy and the support of the community, we're able to expand our firefighting strength and our service to the community,” said council member Bob Campbell. “I'm looking forward to bringing up a new fire station at some point in the near future.”
The city also confirmed one new police officer on Wednesday. Officer Jerry Rodney also completed his training and probationary period.
“Certainly, there's a lot more expected of law enforcement officers these days,” Campbell said. “There's a lot more public involvement, a lot more public scrutiny. It's a tough gig. But we're very supportive of our emergency services, fire and police. A lot of that is because we're doing things for the right reasons at the right time.”
The nine new firefighters included Nicholas Stahler, Matthew Santos, Loy Bink, Jacob Glauser, Vince Sobiech, Morgan Meatovich, Caden Venters, Grady Venters, and Zachary Wolfe.
