Recruits from Long Beach Fire Department Academy 2014A demonstrate how to extinguish a fire at a graduation ceremony on Saturday. Photos by Brittany Woolsey
The assignments were tough, but 20 men and women were tougher as they battled blazes, extricated victims, learned truck operations and performed other tasks necessary for them to become Long Beach firefighters.
The 18 male and two female recruits of Academy 2014A were promoted to full-fledged Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) firefighters following a graduation ceremony on Saturday at the Long Beach Fire Regional Training Facility.
The graduation followed an extensive 20-week program that began October 6.
“This has been a long, tough road for our recruits,” said LBFD Chief Mike DuRee at the ceremony. “The weeks have proven to be physically exhausting and challenging, and the ability to learn new skills has taxed them to the core. But despite that, these 20 recruits rose to that challenge and have been transformed into the best-trained and well-equipped firefighters we have ever seen.”
While the program began in October, the application process before that was much longer, DuRee said. More than 4,500 applicants applied to become a LBFD recruit, and had to go through an interview process, physical agility testing, background checks, psychological evaluations and other medical testing before they were chosen to become a recruit.
The number of academies each year is dependent on the budget and needs of the LBFD, said LBFD spokesman Jake Heflin in December.
Throughout the 20-week, 800-hour academy, the chosen 28 recruits were tasked with duties like EMT training, truck and engine operations, extinguishing fires, auto extrication, hazmat incidents, how to get out when they’re trapped and technical rescue.
When the Long Beach Post visited the fire academy during an exclusive first look in December, all 28 original recruits were still in the academy, but at Saturday’s graduation only 20 had made it through all the tasks and tests successfully.
“I assure you that the long days have paid off as the 20 recruits you see here today took the duties and responsibilities of protecting and serving the citizens of Long Beach,” said Director of Training Jim Rexwinkel.
The 20 recruits showed their skills with those learned tasks and tests during an hour-long demonstration at Saturday’s ceremony.
The exercises included ladder demonstrations, vehicle extrication, extinguishing a strip mall fire, roof ventilation, forcible entry, rappelling, rescue and extinguishing a tower fire.
“It is exciting to celebrate the achievement of these firefighters as they assume their new role in our community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “With this class, the Long Beach Fire Department will add incredibly qualified firefighters who represent the best our city has to offer. It is our hope that they will thrive in this organization for many years to come.”
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