With the sound of bagpipes and firefighters taking the stage, history was made for the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.

A graduation held Friday marked the first time the fire department hosted a fire academy. It hosted it due to a large number of firefighters the department is hiring.

“As a family man with two young kids, it would have been extremely difficult for me to go and stay away for weeks at a time from my family. The fact that they hosted it there, more or less made it possible for me to do it,” says Michael Quinn, a firefighter with the Saratoga Spring Fire Department.

In the fall, Saratoga Springs is expected to open its third fire station, but that comes with a need to fill it with firefighters. The hope is that 10 out of the 15 firefighters from the graduation will staff the new station.

“It'll help bring our staffing levels up to where we can actually properly staff all three fire stations to provide service to the city," says Aaron Dyer, acting chief of the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.

In an effort to combat staffing shortages, the fire department received around $4 million over three years from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER program.

The money allows it to hire 16 new firefighters, and gives it the ability to ramp up recruitment efforts.

“Honestly, without getting that grant, we probably wouldn't be standing here today with a class of this size," Dyer said.

At the end of the day, Dyer said having the proper number of staff only helps the community.