As of July, the San Jose Fire Department will be looking for new recruits and, despite the coronavirus pandemic, is anticipating a strong pool of applicants.
"We're a big city," Erica Ray, Public Information Officer for SJFD, said. "We have a lot of diverse terrain and areas that we respond to. So, we do see applicants from across the U.S."
How many firefighters are hired, however, depends on the city's budget, which has been ravaged by revenue drops because of the pandemic. San Jose city leaders previously projected a $72 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year and have discussed cuts to public safety.
"The need is definitely there," SJFD Captain Mitch Matlow told KCBS. "We will need to recruit because we have people retiring, people leaving the job and going to other departments."
The city currently employs about 700 firefighters to serve more than 1 million residents.
