Call Center Company in Huntsville, AL

Huntsville Fire & Rescue (HFR) is sounding the alarm for future firefighters to join the department and make a difference protecting lives and property.

HFR announced it will begin accepting applications for firefighters on May 20 and provided details and instructions about navigating the application process at a news conference.

“This is not just a job, it’s a career opportunity,” City Administrator John Hamilton said. “It’s an important time for HFR as the department seeks to hire the next class of cadets to step forward and answer the emergency call for Huntsville residents.”

HFR offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits and elite training for firefighters as well as opportunities for advancement. Starting at $53,726, a cadet’s annual salary jumps to $59,280 when they complete all required training and transition to full-time firefighters.

After completing training, firefighters become eligible for a 5% physical fitness incentive. Employees are also eligible for step pay increases on the anniversary of their hire date.

“Becoming a firefighter with HFR is a special calling and serves a vital role in the community, helping residents who may be facing their worst day,” HFR Chief Howard McFarlen said. “This role is made easier with the camaraderie and support present at each station. A can-do attitude is the No. 1 attribute we are looking for. Huntsville is an excellent city that deserves nothing but the best when emergencies arise.”

Job qualifications include no felony convictions, being at least 18 years old and having a high school diploma or GED. Applicants are encouraged to schedule their Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) orientation after submitting a job application.

More information about the application process can be found at JoinHFR.com. Applicants and those interested in applying can ask questions and learn more about HFR at two meet-and-greet events: Thursday, May 29, from 6-8 p.m. at Fire Station 1, 2110 Clinton Avenue West, and Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Public Safety Training Academy, 5365 Triana Blvd.

“HFR is the perfect place to become the best version of yourself,” HFR Recruiter Capt. Cory Green said. “I encourage everyone to attend one of our meet-and-greet sessions and take advantage of the opportunity to talk with firefighters, learn more about the job and the application process.”

Three years after being named the best place to live in America by U.S. & World Report, Huntsville is no longer the best place to live even in Alabama, according to the same publication.

The Rocket City fell to No. 85 in the rankings after being ranked at the top, No. 2 and No. 7 the three previous years. The best place to live in the U.S. now? That would be Johns Creek, Georgia according to the 2025-2026 Best Places to Live in the U.S. rankings.

The best place to live in Alabama, according to U.S. News & World Report? That would be Hoover, checking in at No. 25.

How could Huntsville fall so far so fast? This year, U.S. News expanded its data to evaluate more than 850 cities (up from 150 in previous years), publishing the top 250 as the year’s best places to live.

“While the drop seems very extreme, it’s actually not that significant when you look at it proportionally and in fact any city that made the top 250 is considered to be a really great accomplishment,” said Erika Giovanetti, consumer lending analyst at U.S. News & World Report.

Huntsville’s fall in the rankings was not as dramatic as the two cities that followed it as the best places to live in the U.S. Green Bay fell to 170 and Naples, Florida, fell to 179.

Colorado Springs, which has been competing with Huntsville for the headquarters of U.S. Space Command, did not even make the list despite being a regular in previous years.

None of the cities currently ranked in the top 10 were included in previous rankings. Johns Creek, Georgia, took No. 1 due to its strong job market and desirability scores.

“The expansion of the 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings gives consumers a more detailed view into what it’s like to live somewhere at the community level, enabling them to consider more options for potential places to settle down,” Giovanetti said.

Hoover and Huntsville are among five Alabama cities making the top 250. Decatur checks in at 130, Daphne at 182 and Dothan at 190.

Giovatti said the Alabama cities consistently ranked well in job market and affordability rankings. She said Hoover scored well in the college readiness category (based on U,S. News’ Best High Schools ranking) and safety, which may have pushed the city in the Birmingham metro past Huntsville

“High schools in the suburbs usually perform pretty well,” Giovatti said.

She also said Decatur seemed to have benefited from being in the same job market as Huntsville, which opens its residents to more job opportunities.

“That speaks well for Huntsville, too,” she Giovatti said.

Decatur also ranked in the top 5% in home value price.

U.S. News also ranked the top 25 cities in three categories. Huntsville checked in at No. 25 among medium-sized cities. It was the largest city in the top 25. Hoover ranked 17 among small cities.

The rankings are based on a methodology that takes into account the city’s job market, value, quality of life and desirability. These measures were weighted in part based on a public survey of thousands of individuals throughout the U.S. to find what qualities they consider important in a place to live. The methodology also factors in data from U.S. News’ internal resources, Applied Geographic Solutions, and U.S. government agencies including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The 2025-2026 rankings also include U.S. News Best States data on economy and infrastructure to deepen consumer confidence and understanding of cities’ standings on important factors that contribute to overall quality of life.

Among the factors listed included median household income, median home value and length of commute to work.

See story: The Best Place to Live in the U.S.A: Huntsville’s mayor talks city’s growth, development - al.com

Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 14, as the City’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and Amazon team up to present the annual Juneteenth Festival, a vibrant evening filled with performances, fireworks and hands-on STEAM activities.

The free, family-friendly event, which runs from 5-9 p.m. at Big Spring Park, will be headlined by Element XI, known for their high-energy performances and crowd-pleasing sound. The Huntsville Community Drumline will open the event.

An addition to this year’s festival is The STEAM Zone, a collaborative space featuring hands-on, educational activities centered on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Partners like Arts Huntsville and the North Alabama NSBE Professionals will lead engaging programming designed to spark curiosity and creativity in participants of all ages.

“Juneteenth is not only a time of celebration, but also an opportunity to educate and inspire,” said Randy Barbour, the City’s Director of Multicultural Affairs. “Through music, culture, community partnerships and now the STEAM Zone, this event continues to grow in its ability to reflect the richness and resilience of our shared history.”

Throughout the park, festivalgoers can explore booths from local nonprofits, community groups and organizations offering valuable resources and services. Food trucks will provide mouth-watering cuisines, and a live DJ will spin tunes between stage performances. The night will conclude with a fireworks display.

Attendees should bring lawn chairs or blankets and arrive early to enjoy the Juneteenth Festival’s offerings.

“The Black Employee Network (BEN) at Amazon is proud to host this event for the third year in partnership with the City of Huntsville,” said Debra Gray, Regional Senior HR Manager for Amazon. “This initiative demonstrates Amazon’s commitment to the Huntsville community. The event serves three purposes: to recognize the past, to honor current African American community leaders and to bring the community together in fellowship.”

Looking to rent an apartment in the Huntsville area? You don’t have to look far.

Huntsville’s apartment boom has led to an oversupply of units in the fast-growing metro area, according to a recent report.

More than 6,500 units were completed in the metro area (not including Athens) last year, according to a Berkadia-Crunkleton report. That figure matches the total number of apartments delivered in the metro over the 12 years leading up to 2020.

“Our occupancy rates here were higher than most occupancy rates across the country for three years straight,” Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate land specialist David Wilson said. “And our rent growth was also one of the highest in the country for about three years. Those were two of the things that triggered the increase in developers’ attention. We got ahead of ourselves. We were in a severe housing shortage (because of the area’s explosive population growth).”

Although there are still a lot of units still in the pipeline, Wilson said new construction is slowing almost to a halt because of the oversupply.

“You don’t have the construction starts that we used to,” Wilson said. “What we’re doing is finishing up the properties, the things that have started or are under construction. Some have delivered and (are) leasing units. There are 19 that haven’t delivered anything yet.”

And Wilson said there are some developers who are sitting on sites that haven’t started anything yet.

That reflects what City of Huntsville Director of Urban and Economic Development Shane Davis told the Huntsville City Council last year, saying his office had seen a “drastic drop-off” of apartments being proposed for the Rocket City.

“Huntsville is currently overbuilt with apartments, and until that excess supply is absorbed, we’re going to see a slowdown in new multifamily construction,” Realtor Matt Curtis added. “We’re seeing the effects of oversupply—one to two months of free rent incentives, declining rents, and higher vacancy rates. That’s not a climate where developers are eager to build.”

“Occupancies are down, values are down, expenses are up,” Wilson said, noting those are some of the metrics developers use in determining whether to start construction.

Wilson said the occupancy rate is in the low 80% range.

According to the Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index at the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama, the average rent in Huntsville as of March was $1,426.99 per month. That is down from $1,595 in December 2023.

Still plenty of units in the pipeline

Huntsville residents may not notice the slowdown, at least not immediately, because there are still plenty of units coming online.

“We’ve got 32 (complexes) in our pipeline that are under construction,” Wilson said. “Some have already delivered some units. Some haven’t, about 7,400 units.”

More than 5,100 units are expected to be delivered this year.

Wilson said they’ve got 50 apartment complexes actively leasing units. “They have not stabilized yet. That is a combination of properties that have been finished for over a year and are still not stable and other ones that are nearly finished, plus everything that is under construction that is delivering units.”

Wilson said apartment construction is occurring now throughout the Huntsville metro area.

“Downtown does get a lot of attention, but if you look at (Cummings) Research Park, that’s one of the highest concentrations,” he said. “Town Madison has a high concentration. Clift Farm has a high concentration. Out on Highway 72 East, there’s been a high concentration. There’s concentrations and pockets of major development all the way across the area.”

Although luxury apartments have been getting a lot of attention with the openings of Vista at Councill Square in the downtown area and 2020 at Providence, Wilson said apartments being built are diversified.

“It ranges from your four-story structure park, like in downtown and Providence, to your one-story cottage style (build to rent),” Wilson said.

The build-to-rent variety is a new phenomenon. According to the Berkadia-Crunkleton report, Huntsville ranks seventh nationally with that type of multifamily development. Other studies have Huntsville easily outpacing other areas in the state with that type of construction.

Slowdown only temporary?

Oversupply isn’t the only reason apartment construction is slowing down in the metro. Both Wilson and Curtis cite what is going on nationally as also being a factor.

Wilson said historically low interest rates just a few years ago helped ignite the boom, but said the capital markets across the country effectively froze about two years ago when interest rates increased and changed the value dynamics of apartment properties and most commercial real estate.

“That was the trigger that really stalled out new construction for most new properties across the country that were not already started,” he said. “You really haven’t seen this historically, we haven’t seen this much of a slowdown in decades. We’re starting to thaw out. There’s been a reset of expectations and attitudes.”

Curtis said apartment construction won’t bounce back until the oversupply clears.

“Right now, there’s too much product on the market, and too many developers are missing their financial targets,” he said.

But Wilson believes it will bounce back because of the population growth in the area.

“It will pick back up again,” he said. “It’s just a matter of when. What’s going to need to happen in the Huntsville market is occupancies are going to have to improve. And they will, over the next year and a half to two years. I think we will get back to the stable occupancy rate, which will be 90% or higher. As that’s happening, we’re going to start having higher rents.”

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NASA is being directed to phase out multibillion-dollar programs, managed from its flagship center in Huntsville, that are designed to ferry people to and from the moon.

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal also calls for a 31% reduction in the space agency’s workforce nationwide, to just under 12,000 personnel, according to documents released last week by the Office of Management and Budget.

The budget request instead puts emphasis on investing in the private space industry and earmarks $350 million for technologies to support crewed missions to Mars. It comes at a time of upheaval for NASA: Shortly after its release, the Trump administration walked back its nomination of a tech billionaire with Alabama ties to lead the space agency.

The White House previewed the cuts in a budget outline released last month. In that document, the administration called for the elimination of the Space Launch System and its Orion crew capsule, dismissing them as, “grossly expensive and delayed.” The SLS is the super-heavy, expendable launch vehicle that is scheduled to carry crews to lunar orbit throughout the life of the agency’s Artemis program.

In line with the earlier budget preview, the administration’s $18.8 billion funding request for NASA is down 24.3%, or $6 billion, from the $24.8 billion approved for the space agency last year. The main cuts come to science programs, with 41 “lower-priority missions” being eliminated. Those include the New Horizons Pluto probe and the Juno Jupiter orbiter, along with the office of STEM engagement. It would be the largest single-year cut in NASA’s history.

Eliminating SLS and Orion will, “[pave] the way for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems that will support subsequent NASA lunar missions,” according to budget documents.

Both are key programs for Marshall Space Flight Center, one of the largest of NASA’s 10 field centers, which employs nearly 7,000 federal workers and contractors in Huntsville and manages a multibillion-dollar budget related to human spaceflight.

Marshall is the agency’s lead center for SLS, managing the booster, engines, stages, and integration. Major Huntsville aerospace contractors including Dynetics, Aerojet Rocketdyne, United Launch Alliance and Teledyne Brown Engineering contribute to the development, production and operation of the SLS’s various elements.

A 2024 study found a greater economic impact for NASA’s Artemis-related work in Alabama than in any other state. It tallied $5.1 billion in effects and attributed much of that to the reach of Marshall Space Flight Center and the contracting it oversees.

Artemis, NASA’s $100 billion, decade-long human lunar exploration program, includes plans for a permanent colony on the moon, which is intended to serve as a steppingstone for crewed Mars missions. Artemis currently consists of 10 planned lunar missions through 2035, all of them intended to launch atop the SLS and to house the crew in Orion capsules.

Trump’s budget supports Artemis II and III, while after that, it envisions “commercial transportation services … through a competitive contract, incentivizing performance and promoting innovation and efficiency.”

Phasing out SLS and Orion raises questions about how astronauts would reach the moon starting with the Artemis IV mission, currently scheduled for summer 2028. Orion is the program’s only crew capsule and SLS its only launch vehicle.

Commercial landers made by SpaceX and Blue Origin are planned for the journey from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface, and those would be launched aboard rockets from the two companies. But neither has yet matched the SLS and Orion duo, which sent an uncrewed capsule around the moon and back to Earth in December 2022 under Artemis 1.

SpaceX’s Starship has recorded four successful flights since April 2023 but has suffered a recent string of setbacks. On its ninth launch in late May, the partially reusable vehicle broke up as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, making its third straight failure.

Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket took its first flight in January. The second stage successfully reached orbit, though the first stage was lost. The second launch of New Glenn was expected in late spring.