Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) welcomed 15 new firefighters to the ranks at a pinning ceremony in March.
HCFR celebrated the new firefighters during a ceremony at Riverhills Church of God in Tampa. At the ceremony, the county’s newest firefighters received the HCFR shield for their helmet and got pinned by a loved one.
All graduates were trained and ready to begin their assignments and to respond to fires, emergency calls and assist residents on a daily basis. The new firefighters also received station and shift assignments during the graduation ceremony, putting them in firehouses throughout Hillsborough County.
All the new firefighters have graduated from the Fire Academy and are certified emergency medical technicians (EMTs). For five weeks, the recruit class went through a Hillsborough-specific orientation to get them ready for their first days on the job.
HCFR has nearly 1,200 firefighters at 47 fire stations serving the 1.1 million residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County.
The requirements to become an entry-level firefighter in Hillsborough County include having a high school diploma or GED, a Florida driver’s license, a State of Florida Certificate of Compliance (Firefighter II) certification and a State of Florida EMT certification, plus physical and character qualifications.
For more information and application, visit https://hcfl.gov/.
