Blog: City Blog

City Has 33 New Firefighters in Training!

Congratulations to the City’s 33 new firefighters in training. Today was the recruits’ first day at the Fire Training Academy, and starting in four months, they’ll begin to take their positions on the front lines with the Knoxville Fire Department – saving property and saving lives!

Mayor welcomes new firefighters

Mayor Madeline Rogero greeted the new class this afternoon, thanking them for their dedication and for choosing the important and demanding work of firefighting.

When these recruits finish their training, they’ll bring the Knoxville Fire Department up to full strength, which is about 330 firefighters.

Mayor Rogero welcomes new firefighters

The Mayor noted the quality and uniqueness of this firefighter class, which is KFD’s first in 2½ years.

More than 500 people applied for these 33 openings.

Each of the firefighter trainees shared with the Mayor their reasons for wanting to join the Fire Department, and why the vocation called out to them.

Among the class members: Lisa Hart is the recruit who’s come here from the farthest distance – Oshkosh, Wisc. She was a firefighter with the Town of Algoma, looking to move to a larger city in the mid-South.

Two other recruits – Cassie Garner and Marcus Allen – were already working for the City of Knoxville. They switched from jobs in the Public Service Department to KFD.

One recruit, Tyler Wills, is a University of Tennessee graduate and a former Vol football player. Three others started as members of the KFD Explorer Post – Bryan Cramer, Zach Headrick and Cory Killion.

Congratulations to the new class of firefighters, and welcome on board with KFD!

City has 33 new firefighters in training

City has 33 new firefighters in training

Posted by tmcdonell On 24 August, 2015 at 5:46 PM