A dozen new volunteers will graduate from fire academy training next month, and more are on the way, said Jon Beck, Island County Fire District 3 deputy chief and training officer.

“We’ve stepped up our recruitment efforts and the community is really responding,” Beck said.

Twelve new volunteers will graduate from training on Dec. 5, including several from the district’s high school program, Beck said. Meanwhile, the class roster is nearly full for the next training session in January, and more volunteers are signing up for August classes, he said.

The new graduates are expected to bring the volunteer numbers up at three fire stations: Langley, Saratoga and Maxwelton.

The increased number of volunteers are the result of an emphasis on recruitment and retention begun last year by the district with the aid of a $147,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Beck said.

The South Whidbey district currently has about 100 volunteers staffing its six fire stations.

For information about the volunteer program, visit the district’s Web site at www.icfd3.org.