Fire Department Trains Its Largest Cadet Class In Recent Memory

NORTH AUSTIN-PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- There are many barometers used to track city growth, one less obvious one being the rank-and-file of a municipal fire department.

By that measure, the largest class of recruits of recent time at the Pflugerville Fire Department reflects the fast-growing nature of the community it serves.

The thirteen recruits being trained this week is the largest in nearly 20 years, as KXAN-TV noted in a recent report. While most of us were off during MLK Day, the fresh recruits continued their rigorous training toward becoming full-fledged firefighters.

“We want to make sure these guys are proficient enough, that when they get off the training, they are ready to serve the public here in the Pflugerville area,” Capt. Robert Ortiz told the television station.

The city’s growth demands a bolstered fire department. The current population of 55,000 is expected to grow to 65,000 by 2020. Last year alone, the city added 763 single-family homes to its stock--a 4.4 percent increase from the prior year.

Forbes magazine recently named Pflugerville as one of the nation’s fastest-growing suburban cities.

The 13-member cadet class this year comprise firefighters-in-the-making ranging in ages from 21 to 39. Chris Wolff, one of the older cadets, told Fox 7 News he was lured to the profession while searching for meaningful work after more than a decade in Europeas as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army.

Once his wife gave her blessings, he went for it, he said.

“Firefighters honestly seemed to be a fun job, and my wife said it would be all right if I did it,” he said. “So I was all over it.”