NORWALK -- There will soon be four new names emblazoned on turnout gear bearing the Norwalk Fire Department logo. The four new firefighters will officially join the department on Oct. 1 after completing 11 weeks of training at the fire academy and pending the positive completion of their background and medical checks. All have indicated that they would accept job offers, Fire Chief Denis McCarthy said. The Fire Commission approved the hiring Tuesday during a special meeting. McCarthy said he was impressed with the qualifications of the candidates, two of whom are Norwalk residents. "These candidates come from trade backgrounds, are trained as EMTs and have some firefighter training, which will combine to provide us with skills above the traditional firefighting skills and will help us with the emergencies we are called to," McCarthy said. The addition of Troy Donahue, James Mills, Dale Roos and David Burrows will make it possible for the department to decrease overtime costs and firefighter fatigue, and increase the long-suffering morale of the department at the same time. The department has a budgeted strength of 136 but has been down 12 firefighters for several months, including anticipated retirements and those on injury leave, according to McCarthy. It has been past practice to keep several of the vacancies open, typically seven, however, McCarthy said 12 are too many for the department to manage. "Twelve vacancies are too many, especially during the summer when guys are on vacation," McCarthy said. "These hires won't solve the problem this year because they have to go to the academy, but it will help later. I'm particularly sensitive to this issue when the holidays come and the guys are working around the clock and they don't get to see their families." Shift vacancies need to be filled according to the department's contract. Each vacancy requires four hires a week so the current vacancies result in 36 extra jobs a week. "Each firefighter is picking up at least one or two extra jobs a week," McCarthy said. The approval of the new hires comes less than a week after leaders of the firefighters' union Local 830 and the city reached a tentative agreement of a contract after a long negotiation process that left firefighters without a contract for three years. The new contract has yet to be ratified and is pending a vote by the rank and file and then the Common Council.