ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s not a problem Albuquerque Fire Rescue is used to having. They’re not getting as many applicants as they once were and, now, a firefighter is helping change that.
“Video editing for me is like a form of therapy. I just can zone out and try different things. It does help to relieve some of the stresses from work as well,” said AFR Firefighter Dustin Ryan.
Ryan, who has been with the department for six years, worked for 32-hours to create AFR’s new recruitment video.
“I definitely wanted to showcase some of our specialties like wildland,” said Ryan.
This is the first time an AFR firefighter has created a recruiting video, mainly because, it’s not something the department used to even need.
“In recent years, we’ve had a sort of downturn in enrollment,” said Lt. Thomas Ruiz with AFR.
Ruiz says they’re not getting as many applications as they used to and are dealing with constant changes.
“With the constant turnover of individuals retiring from the department, we’re always looking for people to join AFR,” said Ruiz.
To help get more people, AFR lowered the application age from 21 to 18 and asked Ryan to start making recruitment videos.
“From a recruiting standpoint, we definitely saw a spike in interest in the department which is what we wanted to see, right?” said Ruiz.
For Ryan, seeing the appeal of being a firefighter is easy.
“You get to work with a bunch of great people. You get to help a lot of people,” said Ryan.
Ryan hopes his passion shines through to inspire others to join the department.
“Oh, definitely. It was very special. I’m just happy they presented me with the opportunity to help out,” said Ryan.
Open enrollment for this cadet class ends on February 29. There is a $15,000 sign-on bonus for people who already have their paramedics license.
For more information, click here.
(Information from KRQE.com)
