Wilmington Fire Department graduating 17 firefighter recruits

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Over a dozen Wilmington Fire Department firefighter recruits will graduate in a ceremony this Sunday.

The event will take place in Council Chambers at City Hall at 2:00 p.m., with 17 cadets being pinned by a loved one and presented their new helmet.

“The 2022 Recruit Academy is an outstanding group of young men and women,” Fire Chief Steve Mason said. “After graduation, they will bring some much-needed relief for our daily staffing challenges. I am very proud of their progress throughout the academy and look forward to seeing them grow in their careers.”

Each graduating member has completed around 959 hours of training and 137 hours of physical training over the past six months.

During this time, recruits achieved state certifications for Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter, Shipboard Firefighting, and Hazardous Materials Operations, Child Passenger Safety Seat Technician, and much more.