Dozens of Louisville firefighters promoted as department looks for recruitments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It was a big day for some of Louisville's firefighters.

Nearly two dozen members were promoted Friday during a ceremony at the Louisville Zoo.

Since the department wasn't able to hold a promotional ceremony last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, it celebrated both 2020 and 2021 promotions.

One person was promoted to major, 11 were promoted to captains and 10 were promoted to sergeant.

The ceremony coincides with the Louisville Fire Department's open recruitment period.

"It's incredibly competitive. For a spot of about 20 to 45 positions that we typically hire for in a given year, we usually have anywhere between a thousand to 2,000 to sometimes 3,000 applications that we receive," Louisville Fire Maj. Bobby Cooper said.

Applicants must be 18 years old, take a physical test, a written test, go through an interview and a polygraph. A high school diploma or GED, and a valid driver's license are also required. If hired, applicants will go through a 26-week fire recruit training program.

The deadline for applications is April 9. Applications can be submitted on the fire department's website, here.