Close to 300 probationary firefighters graduated from the FDNY Fire Academy during a ceremony at Queens College at the end of December following more than four months of training on Randall’s Island.
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker presided over the graduation of 289 firefighters at the Queens College Colden Auditorium on Reeves Avenue in Flushing on Friday, Dec. 27.
The final graduating class of 2024, which included four women and 28 veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, will now be assigned to firehouses around the city after completing 18 weeks of training on Randall’s Island.
The academy graduates trained in all aspects of firefighting during their time in the FDNY Fire Academy, including fire suppression and medical response, hazardous materials, collapse and confined space rescues, auto extrication, building inspections and procedures for engine and ladder operations.
Tucker congratulated the new recruits on their graduation from the FDNY Fire Academy, stating that their first years as probationary firefighters will act as the foundation for their careers in the FDNY.
“Public service is among the most noble careers, and you all are among an elite and incredible group who choose to put your lives at risk in service of others,” Tucker told the graduating class last Friday. “As probationary firefighters, you have your entire careers ahead of you. These first years out of the academy will form the foundation of your time as a New York City firefighter. The skills you learned will be with you for the rest of your life.”
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito told the new recruits that they were committing themselves to serving others, stating that a career as a firefighter is more than a job.
“Never stop striving to be better. Train harder, learn more, and take pride in the uniform you wear and the incredible traditions you represent,” Esposito told the graduating class.
The FDNY said last March that it was aiming to boost the number of women in the department, with women accounting for approximately 1% of the estimated 11,000 firefighters in the FDNY.
In June 2024, the FDNY said there were 169 women serving as uniformed firefighters in the FDNY. The department has not yet confirmed how many women are currently serving as firefighters across the city, but the four recent women graduates represent just 1.38% of the recent graduating class containing 289 probationary firefighters.
