RAPID CITY, S.D.(KOTA)- A busy fire season in the Black Hills and elsewhere teamed up to spread the Rapid City Fire Department’s resources thin this summer, without even mentioning a short staff.

Tessa Jaeger, RCFD public information officer, said Rapid City fire crews stepped up this summer.

Despite the positivity, crews have been “stepping up” for weeks now, and some remain deployed on fires across the nation.

Which makes the timing of a class of 18 new firefighters all the better, among the biggest in Rapid City’s history.

Jaeger said while veteran firefighters are ready for the help, the newbies are ready to get work.

The class of firefighters will graduate and join their respective stations in just under a month.