How Decatur plans to fix its firefighter shortage from inside the classroom
National shortage prompts new high school training crew
Decatur will expand its firefighting force by three personnel and launch a high school training program to combat staffing shortages, according to city officials.
DECATUR, Ga. - The Decatur City Commission voted this week to expand its firefighting force by three personnel as local leaders launch an innovative high school training program to combat a tightening national recruitment shortage.
Decatur staffing shortage
What we know:
Local commissioners approved a new fiscal year budget this week that funds three additional firefighter positions to reinforce the city's daily shifts. Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold said the city currently assigns 12 firefighters to each of its three shifts to maintain a mandatory minimum staffing level of 10 personnel per shift. However, a recent shift analysis revealed the department was dropping below that baseline, averaging roughly 9.3 or 9.4 firefighters per shift. To cover the empty slots, the current crew has been forced to work overtime.
The staffing squeeze mirrors a broader national trend. A 2024 report from the U.S. Fire Administrator highlighted a steady, yearslong decline in the total number of firefighters across the country. The federal agency explicitly called on local governments to build innovative recruitment and retention policies to counter the shrinking workforce.
High school training partnership
What we don't know:
While the new high school training program is fully booked for its initial rollout, officials have not yet confirmed if they plan to expand the class size for future semesters. It remains unclear exactly how many student applicants were placed on a waiting list after the roster reached its maximum limit. Additionally, the city has not disclosed the total projected cost of the training equipment or how much taxpayers will save on traditional recruitment marketing.
Local academy enrollment
What they're saying:
In response to the shrinking labor pool, Decatur Fire Chief Toni Washington developed a creative pipeline right inside the community. The department is partnering with the Decatur Career Academy at Decatur High School to give teens hands-on firefighter training starting this fall. The dual-enrollment program operates as a three-way partnership between Decatur High School, Decatur Fire and Atlanta Technical College.
"We know we’re going to be needing more firefighters in the future and instead of just going about the recruitment process the same old way that we’ve done for decades, she developed this idea for something that’s new and different," Arnold said. "Because of that innovation and the creativity, we’re going to have access to a whole new crop of recruits in the city."
The concept is already a massive hit on campus. Career Academy Director Terra Smiley confirmed the upcoming program has already hit its maximum capacity.
"So we're excited. It's been well received," Smiley said. "I am excited that we're able to collaborate and work to kind of fill those gaps."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold, who explained the budget analysis and recruitment details during a city meeting and interview, as well as Decatur Career Academy Director Terra Smiley and a national report from the U.S. Fire Administrator.