TULSA, Okla. (KOKI) — Tulsa Fire Department officials say they are down 60 firefighters and suspect that number will continue rising in the months to come.

Recruitment Officer Anthony Payne and Deputy Chief Brent Goins, met with city councilors last week and talked with them about the problem.

Payne said about 30 firefighters retired last year and more than 50 are expected to retire this year. Payne said those retirements, coupled with the fact there was no academy class to bring in new firefighters in the last year due to the pandemic, have caused the problem.

The bigger problem they face now, according to officials, is that they are having trouble recruiting new firefighters to fill the open positions.

Payne told city councilors that in 2007 the department averaged around 2,000 applicants a year. In contrast, in the last twelve months he said only about 220 people applied.

Tulsa Fire Chief Michael Baker says there are multiple contributions to the problem including the ongoing pandemic. “It inhibited myself and the department from doing interviews. The testing process was disrupted because we couldn’t gather folks,” Chief Baker said in an interview with FOX23.

Baker said the pandemic has also added to the already dangerous nature of the career, which may have deterred applicants.

Tulsa Firefighters Local 176 President Matt Lay says firefighter pay is also a real challenge.

Lay provided figures on where the department stands when it comes to pay and benefits in comparison to other cities. Nationally, the numbers show Tulsa is ranked 10th out of 11 cities that are considered to be similar in size and demographics, Tulsa firefighters earning about 20% less on average.

Statewide, the Tulsa Fire Department ranks 16th in pay and benefits, even though Tulsa is the 2nd biggest city.

“Once you do find applicants that are interested,” Lay said, “getting them to come to Tulsa when they can go to Broken Arrow, or Owasso or Oklahoma City, it’s a challenge.”

Officials told the city council they need 725 firefighters to operate normally. Currently, the Tulsa Fire Department has 667 firefighters.

To help with the staffing issue, officials say about 20 firefighters a day are called to work an overtime shift to ensure all fire stations across the city have enough firefighters to operate.

Those firefighters are working 48 hours straight, and only have 24 hours off before returning for their next scheduled shift.

Lay says the fire union is currently in negotiations with the city about firefighter pay. Last week, Mayor G.T. Bynum signed a contract giving every Tulsa police officer a significant raise. When FOX23 asked Lay if they may see a similar raise, he said, “there has been no such offer at this time.”

The next Tulsa firefighter academy is planned for the end of 2021. You must be 18 years of age and have an EMS Basic Level Certification to apply.

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