PITTSBURGH (100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire has sworn in its most recent class of firefighting recruits at the Fire Academy on Washington Boulevard.
On Friday morning, 23 recruit graduates took the oath and are ready to begin their careers as Pittsburgh Firefighters on Monday.
"Today, after 32-plus weeks, you have patches on your sleeve; you represent the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire," Fire Chief Darryl Jones said. "A lot of pride comes with that. I appreciate that because I am also very proud to have the patches on my sleeve."
Mayor Bill Peduto administered the oath to the smaller than usual recruiting class, a normal class has around 30 recruits.
The smaller number was done to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf's COVID-19 mitigation efforts and banning gatherings of over 25 people.
"It's not a career that many people would be willing to do knowing the possibility of having to be in a situation where you're valuing somebody else more than yourself—you're willing to put yourself at risk in order to help someone else," Mayor Peduto said. "It's a job unlike other jobs. It's a calling."
The ceremony and a skills demonstration were livestreamed and can be found on the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Facebook page.
