Twenty firefighters were welcomed to the Fort Wayne Fire Department in a graduation ceremony tonight at the Public Safety Academy.
City of Fort Wayne news release:
Fort Wayne Fire Department Welcomes 20 New Firefighters
Fort Wayne, Indiana (July 24, 2025) – Twenty firefighters were welcomed to the Fort Wayne Fire Department in a graduation ceremony tonight at the Public Safety Academy.
Thirty-five percent of the FWFD’s 97th recruit class are in a group that is currently underrepresented within the FWFD, including five males who identify as Black, one male who identifies as Hispanic, and one female.
Some graduates will begin their duty as Fort Wayne firefighters at engine houses throughout the city tomorrow.
“I’m so proud of our newest firefighters. Each person worked hard and showed tremendous determination, toughness, and professionalism during their many weeks of training,” said Mayor Sharon Tucker. “Our community is fortunate to have an outstanding fire department with the health and well-being of our residents being a top priority. The public can rest knowing that our excellent firefighters are committed to protecting and serving individuals, families, 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:
- Kalen Bohde
- Zachary Cubellis-Lund
- Michael Gonzalez
- Ryan Hamel
- Hunter Hedrick
- Brock Hollinger
- Jack James
- Benjamin Keating
- Adam Lill
- Andrew Lytle
- Andrew Miller
- Bradly Perry
- Kyseme Price
- Jennifer Reiff
- Andrew Reynolds
- Paul Scheumann
- Evan Smith
- Austin Whaley
- Carson Truesdale
- Blake Wunderlich
Three Huntington Fire Department graduates were also sworn in during the graduation ceremony.
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