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The Knoxville Fire and Rescue Department has seen a dramatic increase in the number of calls over the past few months, and the Knoxville City Council recently approved the hiring of paid part-timers to staff the department in the evening and overnight hours. Fire Chief Mike Roberts says the new staff will be better able to serve the needs of the community, because they will have a paramedic or an RN on staff at all times. Roberts also says the projection is that the new part-timers will pay for themselves because they will be able to charge more for the runs they go on. The new staff will start on July 1st.