Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Fire Department has graduated its 200th cadet class!  

Seventy-four new firefighter/EMTs received congratulations from friends, relatives, colleagues and dignitaries at a ceremony on Tuesday at Franklin Towne Charter Elementary School. Seventy-one of the graduates are joining the PFD while three will be serving with the Upper Darby Fire Department. 

“This job will not be easy, but it will be the most rewarding job you’ll ever have,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney told the class. “Your rigorous training – combined with your skills, passion, and dedication – will see you through the tough calls.”  

The Philadelphia Fire Academy’s demanding nine-month program includes fire suppression training, hazardous materials awareness, and fire- and life-safety education. Cadets also become certified as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), qualifying them to provide basic emergency medical care.  

The PFD is one of the busiest fire/EMS systems in the nation, with daily volume averaging between 800 and 1,000 emergency incidents. 

“We have the honor of taking care of people on their worst days,” said Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel. “That is our duty, that is our mission, that is our calling.” 

Thiel thanked the cadets’ families for supporting them during the journey through the Academy. He also noted the PFD now has more than 3,000 members and has received more than $500 million in capital investments over the past seven years.

Class 200 spokesman Andrew Griffith recalled the group’s early days at the Academy, when they had not yet come together and could barely run a couple of miles. But things changed as the months passed, he said, and the class eventually ran the 10-mile Broad Street Run together – in a downpour. 

“That was when I realized how far we had come and how close we had grown as a class,” Griffith said. “Our instructors glowed with pride as we finished the race that day.” 

Three graduates of Class 200 are alumni of the PFD’s Fire/EMS Explorers, a youth development program designed to teach emergency response and preparedness while building character and leadership skills. 

The PFD is currently accepting applications for firefighters. You must apply and schedule your test by September 29, 2023. If you want to learn more about the cadet experience, check out this video and this video.

Original source can be found here.