Becoming a firefighter in the city of Syracuse is hard work. After four months of training, a class of recruits is ready to get to work. Twenty-seven Syracuse Fire Department recruits joined the team on Friday. By Wednesday, they’ll be put to work.

“They’ll be on the streets, they’ll be answering calls, they’ll have their masks on but if you call 911 for the fire department, one of these 27 firefighters will show up to your door," said Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds.

What You Need To Know

  • Syracuse Fire Department graduated a class of 27 recruits Friday

  • Forty four percent are people of color

  • This is their largest and most diverse class yet

  • They will start their new jobs this Wednesday

This is the department’s largest training class yet. It’s also the most diverse. Forty-four percent of the class is people of color.

“It’s what makes our department great, said Monds. “It’s what makes our city great, and it’s going to be what makes this group of firefighters that were here today great.”

The recruits spent four months training to graduate from the program, and they did it during a pandemic.

“I truly didn’t understand what the fire service was until going through this academy, said Syracuse probationary firefighter Blaine Moore. “It’s been amazing and it truly shows you how important the city is to this area and to the people of this city.”

Now, they will be part of the force answering as many as 73 calls for help a day in the city.

“It’s very hard work, but it has amazing rewards, as helping people and giving back to the community,” said Moore. “And that’s what I really strove for was to give back and to give back to the city of Syracuse.”