The Hollister Fire Department added three new members to its list of full-time employees this week.
Levi Sutton, Vincent Muñoz and Steven Cabral traded their reserve firefighter badges for ones that belong to the full-time members of the department during a special ceremony Monday just after 8 a.m.
While reserve firefighters work other jobs, these three will now be doing the job full time. They did their training and ride-alongs through the reserve program.
To become a reserve, applicants must complete an application, interview and background investigation plus receive a medical clearance, explained Sean Olguin, a training captain with the department.
Then, they spend hundreds of hours in the academy.
“They learn everything as far as the Hollister Fire Department way,” the captain said.
Many bring previous emergency medical technician or paramedic training and have associate or master degrees, he said.
“Every day they come into the firehouse is an interview day,” Olguin said. “The way they act. The way the talk.”
To transition to filling any full-time openings in the department, reserves must fill out an application, pass a written test and go through interviews with the captain and chief, Olguin said.
As new firefighters, they have 18 months of probation during which time they must prove they can be “driver operators” capable of driving equipment and must show their knowledge of equipment and the job to a special board, the captain said.
