Wake County spent $2 million on a recruitment campaign to address its shortage of firefighters.
Much of the recruiting efforts targeted women and people of color.
And for the first time, cadets in the 38-week academy will be paid.
55 new recruits are now training to join Raleigh's fire department.
"We increased the pay for everybody, even the starting pay," said Darrell Alford, Wake County’s director of Fire Services and Emergency Management. “We had never had a paid academy before."
Previously, Alford said, prospective firefighters would have to rely on parents or spouses to make ends meet while they are in training, which limits the applicant pool.
Alford also says the county’s fire agencies launched a “grassroots” recruiting effort.
“We went through all parts of the community, we used our regional centers, located through Wake County, we used our faith-based organizations," Alford said. "And we really put the word out and what a remarkable career being a firefighter could be."
The goal was to create a more inclusive firefighting force, which is a career field traditionally dominated by white men. According to county statistics, 94% of Wake’s firefighters are white and male.
Wake County commissioners approved the efforts this year, using the county’s share of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Alford says he has heard from other fire departments in the state and in South Carolina who are interested in starting similar programs.