Longview Fire Chief Greg Grimes said recruitment has improved since COVID-19, but interest is down overall compared with his 30-year career. He said pay and schedules can discourage potential recruits, and that many firefighters hold second jobs. To address scheduling concerns, the department recently moved to a schedule of 48 hours on and 96 hours off.
The Longview Police Department is at maximum capacity with no vacancies, according to spokesperson LaDarian Brown. Brown said recruiting has not been the department's issue and that keeping officers has been the challenge. He said the city's own police academy, launched in 2020, has significantly boosted retention. Brown also credited efforts to improve department culture.
Firefighter and paramedic Alec Tipton said the culture at Longview Fire brought him back after he left briefly. Both departments will cover tuition for recruits who enroll in the police academy or firefighter-paramedic school.