City Council Appoints New Part-Time Firefighter

The brought another part-time firefighter onboard during .

Kenneth R. Werstak Jr. was appointed a part-time firefighter and paramedic.

That hiring brought the department up to about 25 part-time firefighters in Brecksville, said Fire Chief Ed Egut. There are 15 full-time firefighters, including the chief.

Part-time firefighters earn an hourly rate, depending on certification and whether the call is an emergency. They are used to help fill in for the full-time staff and to supplement the staff during an emergency.

If part-time firefighters live in town, they must be certified as EMTs, Egut said. That ensures that the part-time staff who can get to disaster and fire calls quickly has medical training.

There's a slightly higher standard for those that live outside the city. The department requires that non-residents must be certified as paramedics. It’s a higher certification than an EMT, Egut said, and those staff members can be called on to fill in for full-time firefighter/paramedics who are off.

The department is not hiring at this time.