Buffalo, NY – Mayor Byron W. Brown and Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo today presided over the first Buffalo Fire Department graduation ceremonies to include recruits from the May 1, 2018 fire exam.
“I’m very pleased to welcome the 52 men and women who answered the call to a career with the Buffalo Fire Department,” Mayor Brown said. "My Administration’s continuing plan is to appoint, train, and hire a diverse group of firefighters with the goal of making the Buffalo Fire Department one of the best in the nation.”
With the addition of today’s graduating class, the Buffalo Fire Department’s roster of active firefighters stands at 692.
“Today’s graduation of recruit class 18-02 makes us a more robust organization, better able to serve the citizens of Buffalo more safely, while delivering fire and EMS services more effectively and efficiently than ever before,” Commissioner William Renaldo said. “The addition of these new firefighters demonstrates our commitment to a fully-staffed, trained and ready firefighting force.”
Mayor Brown noted that since 2006, the City has invested over $26 million in its fire department.
“Since 2006, we’ve replaced the entire fleet of fire vehicles, opened three new firehouses, with a fourth in the design phase, and completed major renovations at several others, equipped our fire fighters with state-of-the-art equipment, and trained our firefighters to administer overdose reversing medication,” Mayor Brown said. “And last month we officially opened the City of Buffalo Police & Fire Headquarters at the Michael J. Dillon U.S. Courthouse Building, bringing our critical first responders under one roof. All those investments enhance the safety of Buffalo residents, while assisting our firefighters in doing their important work.”
The next class of 25 fire recruits is scheduled to begin 20-weeks of training in mid-February, with a June graduation.