Hall County Fire Rescue (HCFR) recognized 20 new firefighter/EMTs at their recent graduation ceremony at Lanier Tech’s Ramsey Conference Center for Fire Recruit Class 57.
“It’s always a great day when the department celebrates 20 new Firefighters/EMTs who successfully completed our rigorous recruit school over the course of 32 weeks,” Hall County Fire Chief Jerry Smith said. “It’s not an easy task, but they persevered and are now on shift serving the Hall County community.”
During the 32-week training, recruits completed several hours of classroom and hands-on training. Training included hose deployment, ventilation, fire attack, hazmat operations, rescue operations, Firefighter I and II National Professional Qualification (NPQ) certifications and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certifications.
“As a retired firefighter, I know firsthand that these men and women have made it through long days, tough lessons and moments where they had to dig deeper than they could have ever imagined,” Hall County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Gibbs said. “They, and their families, have made a lot of sacrifices to be where they are today, and we are grateful for their willingness to serve, protect and honor the Hall County community.”
With the addition of the 20 graduates from Fire Recruit Class 57, HCFR now has 370 certified firefighter/EMTs on staff, with more recruits expected to begin training in the new year.
(Hall Co. government photo)