FIRE DEPARTMENT – MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Exciting news to report: The Fort Wayne Fire Department is hiring! I recently joined Fire Chief Amy Biggs in announcing that the Fort Wayne Fire Department will be hiring 15 firefighters. This highly-anticipated announcement was made at news conference attended by members of the City Council, Fiscal Policy Group and neighborhood leaders who helped pass the recent fiscal plan.

Our fiscal plan, which was developed by a bipartisan team of city and financial leaders, laid out a strategy for investment in our City’s future. Because of the leadership and vision of the Fiscal Policy Group, City Council and neighborhood leaders, we are now able to hire these 15 new firefighters and be better equipped to sustain the level of service and protection our residents have come to know, expect and deserve.

This means we are able to have a fire academy class that will result in more firefighters to keep our community safe. We continue to see positive momentum in our community. I salute our public safety officials, who dedicate their lives to protecting us and making us a safe city, with a great quality of life – a city that is built for success.

I would especially like to commend the City Council members who supported the financial plan for the future and the business and neighborhood leaders who are passionate about our community and want to see investment to keep our City thriving and growing.

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The Fort Wayne Fire Department has not held an academy class or hired firefighters since 2008. The upcoming class will fill 15 of the nearly 40 unfilled positions and reduce overtime for current members.

Applications for the 15 new positions are now being accepted. Interested candidates should visit the FWFD’s website at www.fortwaynefiredepartment.org.

On another note, our City public safety team continues to demonstrate its commitment to safety – we recently announced that additional City vehicles will be installed with technology to promote safe driving and help minimize distractions.

Last year, the Fort Wayne Police Department became the first police department in the country to use a device to enhance safety for officers.

The Archangel II technology was developed in Fort Wayne by SRRS. Archangel II disables the keyboard, track pad, and touch screen on an in-car computer when the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed. However, the call screen remains visible and active. Archangel II can help protect against accidents caused by distracted driving.

In the coming weeks, several City departments — including Fire, Neighborhood Code, Public Works, and City Utilities — will have the technology installed in their vehicles.

The City of Fort Wayne remains a leader in using best practices to serve our community. Our dedicated employees are committed to safety and meeting the needs of our citizens.

With calendar full of festivals, events and attractions and our beautiful parks, trails and playgrounds, our City is bustling with activity.

I hope all of you are having a safe and relaxing summer!