By FireRescue1 Staff
TEXARKANA, Ark. — A new law has lowered the minimum age requirement for fire recruits in the state.
The DeQueen Bee reported that the law lowers the minimum age of firefighters from 21 to 18.
The law was proposed by a battalion chief last year as a way of increasing the pool of applicants. Data shows that over the past 20 years, the number of people taking the test to become a firefighter in Texarkana had dropped by 75 percent.
Texarkana Battalion Chief Billy Smith said the new law will give departments the opportunity to find the talent.
“We’re going to get out and recruit a whole lot heavier than we have been in the past,” he said.
Arkansas joins several surrounding states that already have a minimum age of 18 for fire recruits, including Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.