City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday, Nov. 26, 2012) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards, Fire Chief Salvatore Mitrano III and City Councilman Adam McFadden welcomed a new class of Firefighter recruits today, which represents the most diverse Fire Academy ever held by the Rochester Fire Department.
“The City of Rochester is committed to creating a workforce that reflects the incredible diversity of this city,” said Mayor Richards. “This Fire Academy class represents another great stride forward toward that goal. I want to commend and thank everyone who participated in the recruitment effort that resulted in this remarkable achievement.”
The Fire Academy class of 24 city residents began Nov. 19. It consists of one Asian male, two white females, one African American female, 11 African American males and nine white males. Five recruits are also military veterans.
The recruitment was the result of a comprehensive campaign to improve diversity. It involved the Administration and City Council and included the support of 11 different city churches. A team of City firefighters visited job fairs, schools and college to recruit candidates for the Academy and a multi-media campaign was launched to promote the benefits of a career in firefighting. This effort resulted in 924 people applying for the Civil Service exam in December 2011.
This is the first recruit class that the RFD has held since March 2010. The class will undergo NYS Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Firefighter Level 1 and Firefighter Level 2 training. The class is scheduled to graduate in mid May 2013.
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News Media: For more information, Contact Fire Lt. Edward Kuppinger at 233-8333.