Thirty-four new firefighters started their careers this week with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) after a graduation ceremony in mid-July.

In a ceremony at Riverhills Church of God on Friday, the County’s newest firefighters received shields for their helmets and were pinned by family members or loved ones. During the event, they also learned which of Hillsborough’s 47 fire stations will be their new home. All of them will start by Tuesday morning, depending on their shift assignment, and they will begin to learn more about the communities to which they have been assigned.

The 34 new firefighters are a diverse group with several bilingual firefighters reflecting the County they are sworn to serve. HCFR serves the 1.1 million residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County with more than 1,200 firefighters. 

All of the new firefighters have graduated from Fire Academy and are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). For the past four weeks, the recruit class has been through a Hillsborough-specific orientation to get them ready for their first days on the job.

NOTE: Story and images courtesy Hillsborough County, retrieved from provided video footage.