Making good on its promise to bolster back up volunteers with paid day staff, South Whidbey Fire/EMS has hired three new firefighters.

The new additions will start July 11

Two of the hires, Bill Piepenbrink and Alex McMahon, were selected from the district’s existing volunteer ranks. The district also hired Travis Zimmerman, who lives in West Seattle and has been working as a full-time paramedic in Hanford. He will serve at South Whidbey in a lieutenant position.

All three are part-time and are expected to work about 30 hours a week.

South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Rusty Palmer said the district is still looking to fill five more part-time positions but is lacking applications. One more lieutenant position is available, while four more firefighter positions are open.

Lieutenants are in charge of fire engine crews.

Palmer said approximately $290,000 will be spent on the eight new paid employees annually. That number includes salaries, medical and retirement benefits and unemployment premiums. Palmer said the district is in good financial shape with the new hires, with 48 percent of their budget dedicated to salaries. He said fire departments typically allocate 50-60 percent of their budget to salaries.

Deputy Chief Jason Laughren said the district brought on the new hires since most of the current volunteers have full-time day jobs, which can impact response time. He was clear that they were not brought on to replace the volunteers, rather to supplement them.

“There was a definite need to bring them on,” Laughren said. “We still have a good response time during the night but we just need a little bit more during the day.”

The district is also considering bringing on full-time employees in the future, according to Palmer.

The paid hires were a necessary step, said Palmer, and each was selected carefully.

“They were well established within their departments and are well groomed to become the next generation of leaders within our department,” Laughren said.