January 31 - Mayor Byron W. Brown was joined by Deputy Fire Commissioner Johnathan Eaton and the entire Buffalo Fire Department (BFD) Command Staff, at the swearing in ceremony of 66 new BFD firefighter recruits at The Bennett High School of Innovative Technology on the Bennett High School campus.
“Becoming a Buffalo Firefighter is a very competitive process,” said Mayor Brown, addressing the new recruits. “Today, you join the ranks of the courageous men and women of the Buffalo Fire Department and I congratulate you for choosing a profession that’s more than a job.”
“Today is a wonderful day for the Buffalo Fire Department and Buffalo residents,” said Dep. Fire Commissioner Eaton. “We will have the ability to provide residents with more firefighters and better service. I thank Mayor Brown for his continued commitment to a high quality of safety in Buffalo.”
Since 2006, the Brown administration has invested well over $26 million in the Buffalo Fire Department, including the opening of new and renovated fire houses. Mayor Brown has also allocated funds to replace BFD’s entire firefighting fleet, add specialized fire rigs, and equip firefighters with state-of-the-art firefighting equipment.
In the past few years, Mayor Brown has appointed new leadership to effectively manage the Buffalo Fire Department and has hired over 150 new firefighters. With the addition of this new class of recruits, the total number of sworn personnel in the BFD is 680.