BATON ROUGE- Putting out fires is a tough job, but somebody has to do it, and if that person is you the Baton Rouge fire department is hiring.

Baton Rouge firefighter Curte Monte tells WBRZ that the 600 people force has seen a decrease in its recruiting class.

"You know, the last few classes, we have seen a downfall in folks that apply," said Monte.

The fire department is not quite sure why its decreasing but they are putting an extra effort into recruiting.

"You know, we had a big boom after 9/11 of course, and that's kind of fell off, but we're certainly always looking and this is the month that we're going to be out there really pushing to recruit," Monte.

BRFD is looking for about 25 men and women ages 18 to 35 with a high school education.

The starting salary for a BRFD recruit $31,626 but jumps to 40k after one year. A rookie job at the police department will get you around 33k, but if you're ready to jump in and be a hero, it will be a while before you see any real action.

"You're going to have the working end, the running end, and the standing part,” said Monte.

"It's actually a 4-6 month process through the hiring process. Once you're chosen as a candidate, you have a 6-month academy,” said Monte.

He also says the job is not for the faint at heart.

"It's a really long academy, it's grueling at times,” said Monte.

In the end, the fire department is looking for men and women who want to help other people.

"We're looking for people that like to serve. The fire service is not a job, it's a career. It's serving your community, being there to help. The people that have that attitude and want to help people are the perfect candidate for the fire service" said Monte.

Recruitment will be from four to seven on Thursday the 18th and Monday the 22nd at BRFD headquarters.
You must be 18 to 35 years old, have a high school education, and bring your valid driver's license and birth certificate with you for recruitment. They'll be accepting applications through November 2nd.