AUBURN —  The Auburn Fire Department has hired three firefighters to fill department vacancies created by retirements, Deputy Chief Mike Minkowsky said.

Dan Hillier, 25, is from Monmouth. He is a 2003 graduate of Monmouth Academy and a 2008 graduate of Southern Maine Community College, earning an AAS in fire science. While in college he was selected for a two-year internship with the Raymond Fire Department. Hillier is assigned to A Platoon under the supervision of Capt. Geoff Low.

Michael Schadtle, 21, is from Glastonbury, Conn. He is a 2006 graduate of Glastonbury High School and a 2009 graduate of Southern Maine Community College, earning an AAS in fire science. While in college he was selected for a two-year internship with the Scarborough Fire Department. Schadtle is assigned to D Platoon under the supervision of Capt. Dean Milligan.

Thomas Hunter, 27, of Auburn is a graduate of Edward Little High School and a 2007 graduate of Central Connecticut State University, earning a BA in communications. Hunter is assigned to B Platoon under the supervision of Capt. Dave Richard.

Newly hired firefighters must successfully complete a rigorous one-year probationary period that involves intensive firefighting skills training. Training is supervised by Auburn Fire Department captains who are Maine state certified training instructors. All training is objective-based and recruits must show competency in each skill set.