October 26, 2023 - Twenty-two firefighters were welcomed to the Fort Wayne Fire Department in a graduation ceremony this evening at the Auer Performance Hall located on the Purdue University Fort Wayne Campus.
The Department’s 95th recruit class includes 4 females, the highest number of female graduates to ever complete the program.
The graduates will begin their duty as Fort Wayne firefighters at engine houses throughout the city on October 27, 2023.
“Public safety is a special calling, and I’m so proud of our newest firefighters,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “The women and men of the Fort Wayne Fire Department continue to do an outstanding job in keeping our community as safe as possible. Under Fire Chief Eric Lahey’s leadership, our fire team is performing at a high level to protect residents, neighborhoods, and businesses.”
The recruits participated in 23 weeks of training and will now continue their training alongside firefighters from the 18 stations that serve the City of Fort Wayne.
The following FWFD graduates were sworn in during the graduation ceremony:
|
Aaron Baker |
Jack Marquardt |
|
Jesse Brandenberger |
Alexander Quick |
|
Paul Caywood |
Marcus Reeder |
|
Josiah Clark |
Shelby Rollins |
|
David Cummings |
Tristian Stephens |
|
Joshua Foutz |
Taylor Stevens |
|
Jacob Fulghum |
Connor Tapp |
|
Taylor Garton |
Emerson Ueber |
|
Micheal Hale Lawrence Kaiser Linnea Lind Sam Lyon |
Lucas Witzigreuter Kayla Yates |
The following Huntington Fire Department graduates were also sworn in during the graduation ceremony: Cole Laur and Austin Eltzroth.