GAINESVILLE - Hall County Fire Services recently welcomed 24 new recruits to the ranks of firefighter.
Hall County Recruit Class #40 endured 16 weeks of physical training, vehicle extrication, live fire training, hazardous materials response and fire safety education, just to name a few. They started as recruits and graduated as Georgia certified firefighters and Hazardous Materials Technicians. While five of the graduates will report directly to their stations for active duty, the others will report to Advanced Emergency Medical Technician School. This latest class brings Fire Services staffing to 353.
During his commencement address Fire Chief Jeff Hood said “Today, we honor 24 cadets, determined by their superior officers to have the skills necessary to take on the challenge of being part of this; one of the nation’s most storied departments.”
Chief Hood added: “To my new brother and sister firefighters, I want to remind you that in the days to come, you’ll see humanity at its worst and you’ll see it at its best, you’ll witness the cycle of life from childbirth to death and everything in between. Your training in recruit class has been dangerous at times but nothing like what lies ahead of you. Your training officers will no longer control the fires and other emergency scenarios. The treatment you administer will not be on mannequins, it will be on your fellow man.”
