Friends and loved ones beamed with pride Thursday at the graduation ceremony for the San Francisco Fire Department’s 137th class of recruits, 47 people who will now take on the responsibility of firefighting.
The ceremony was held at Archbishop Riordan High School and included San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, Fire Chief Dean Crispen, Police Chief Derrick Lew, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and Supervisors Chyanne Chen and Myrna Melgar.
“I’m so fired up!” said Lurie to the gathering. “What a great way to kick off a day.”
The Rev. Armando Gutierrez, chaplain at the San Francisco Fire Department, provided a spiritual message, praying for “courage when they are afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when they are weary, and compassion.”
Gutierrez also asked the recruits to respect the dignity of every person they serve and prayed for the new firefighters’ safety.
Lurie praised the department for a recent rescue at Dead Man’s Point in the city’s Lands’ End area.
What it means to be a firefighter
“Just a few days ago, your brothers and sisters in the Fire Department successfully executed one of the most technical operations I have seen since becoming mayor,” he said. “Over seven hours, in the dead of night, racing extreme conditions, you all successfully rescued a man who was stranded on the side of a cliff.”
The mayor credited a rise in foot traffic and “energy” in the city to the Fire Department and the safety it provides.
It was then Crispen’s turn to welcome his new charges. He spoke about what it means to be a firefighter and that it is much more than simply “bravery, toughness, intelligence, ingenuity, teamwork,” but a department that innovates and uses the latest technology and is constantly educating firefighters on new best practices.
The hopeful air in the room was a result of hard work being made tangible. They were finally firefighters.
“These are houses filled with your new brothers and sisters. Your new family,” said Capt. Dustin Novo, who is in charge of recruit training. “Soon, you will be pinned by the Chief of the Department. You will walk outside of this theater, and your life will forever be changed. And this change was because of you.”
