Bryan-College Station Emergency Departments Report Increase in Candidates Inspired to Serve the Community

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Bryan-College Station public safety applicants are increasing to meet the demand for more emergency coverage.

Bryan and College Station have reported a greater need for public safety workers as populations continue to grow. After a successful recruitment period, local fire and police stations are seeing an increase in the number of applicants.

College Station’s population is growing at a rate of 1.88% annually and Bryan’s population is growing at a rate of 1.96%, according to World Population Review.

Local first responders told KBTX the increase in population has led departments to look for more candidates and many are willing to meet that demand.

“We had an absolutely phenomenal result during this registration period. I think we started with 240 who took the written test and I think we now have 140 who passed the physical agility test,” boasted Chris Lamb of the Bryan Fire Department (BFD). “Having that massive participation was incredible. It was good to see that people wanted to become public servants.”

The BFD has its own 24-week paid fire academy taught by experienced Bryan firefighters, according to its website. Upon graduation, fire department cadets will become Certified Firefighters and will be certified to perform emergency medical technician basics.

Lamb added that he believes the department’s internal training program helps encourage candidates to apply to Bryan.

“We have an incredible program, and especially (with) it being taught in-house, we are able to not only teach them to a high standard, but also teach them our culture at the same time,” Lamb explained. “So whenever they are released to the fire department, they are ready to go.”

The College Station Fire Department is also looking for more firefighters to staff a new fire station. Station #7 is expected to open in 2026 and the department expects to train 24 firefighters for the new station.

“As the community grows, we will need more firefighters. Not just to take care of fires in the community, but to take care of medical emergencies,” shared Stuart Marrs with the College Station Fire Department (CSFD). “We run the ambulance and the fire truck here, and it takes a lot of people on shifts every day, over 50 people to work… We need to keep up with the number of calls we get and the population as it grows. ”

The College Station Police Department (CSPD) is currently hiring for the fall 2025 academy training period, which will begin in July.

Jason Borne, CSPD recruiting coordinator, attributed the station’s increase in applicants to the fact that the hiring process has been open for a longer period of time than in previous years.

Borne also told KBTX that she believes a great work, community and career environment has helped the station win more applicants.

“From my time in the recruiting and training division, and seeing the hiring processes I observed, there has been a definite increase in the overall number of applications,” Borne said.

Borne and another recruiting officer shared another reason for the increase in the number of applicants has to do with a great work environment, community and rewarding career opportunities.

“This community really supports its public safety personnel, as well as its police officers, its firefighters, its 911 operators, all of those people,” added Meredith Paul with CSPD recruiting. “The community is very supportive of us and that encourages people to work for us because it gives (the candidate) a good environment to be part of.”

With a growing population in Bryan and College Station, residents can expect more public service workers to keep the community safe.

The College Station Police Department is recruiting for telecommunications, dispatchers and other positions. Follow this link to find more information about job opportunities with the College Station Fire Department.