44 Austin Fire Department cadets celebrate graduation
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Fire Department graduated its newest class of cadets on Friday.
After 28 weeks of physical, medical and academic training, Class 136 had cause for celebration.
"This is what we signed up for, and we got some of the best training you cannot possibly get," said graduate Juan Daniel Chavarin. "I feel like each and every one of us is mentally prepared and physically prepared for anything that's going to be thrown at us here at AFD."
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Graduates will now undergo 24 weeks of a probationary period before taking their final testing.
"I grew up in the fire station," said graduate Colten Dandridge. "I grew up with a whole fire family that was second to mine, and it’s just always been something that I wanted to do."
17 cadets graduate from the Texas Division of Emergency Management Academy
Governor Greg Abbott was a keynote speaker at the ceremony Friday. The cadets dedicated 8 months to taking hazards training and well-rounded courses to prepare for any natural disaster Texas might see. The program is the first of its kind in the nation.
Dandridge is now fourth generation AFD. His grandfather and great-grandfather are both retired from the department. His father, Capt. Marshall Dandridge, is currently with AFD.
"The favorite part is just the camaraderie. I mean, we started out as 50 strangers in a room," said Dandridge. "And by the end…there's 44 of us that I would call my brothers and a part of my family that I know that I could call no matter what, and they would be there."