“We only hire the best”

TAMPA, Florida. – Tampa Fire Rescue officially welcomed 13 new recruits on Friday.

“Here at the City of Tampa, we only hire the best, so you represent the best that exists in our community,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during Friday's inauguration ceremony. .

“This is a very diverse class,” Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp told FOX 13. “We have different races here. We have different nationalities here. We have different genders here. We have Spanish-speaking people here. So this will represent the community very well. »

One of the new recruits, Elijah Pettway, 20, told FOX 13 he always dreamed of becoming a firefighter.

“Just the art of helping people,” Pettway said. “It’s just this call I got.”

On August 18, 2022, the Chamberlain High School graduate helped save a woman and her two grandchildren from a house fire.

“I think they didn't understand what was happening. And then they saw the smoke, and then they tried to get out,” Pettway said.

Pettway received the Bronze Medal for Valor during an October 2022 event hosted by FOX 13's Linda Hurtado.

“I mean, it pushed me even more to pursue my dream,” Pettway said of the August 2022 incident. “And now here I am.”

Pettway joined his fellow recruits for Friday's pinning ceremony, which included two sons of two existing firefighters.

“These people tell me that parents love the city of Tampa so much that they want their family to continue that tradition of being able to help the community,” Tripp said.

Sunday will mark the new recruits' first day on the job, responding to 911 calls from Tampa residents.

“And you’re the one introducing yourself,” Castor said. “And not only provide them with the medical care that will keep them alive, but you also give them that hope.”

Tripp told FOX 13 that Tampa Fire Rescue still needs to hire 25 more firefighters. Ten of these places are due to retirements, according to the chief. Interested candidates can apply starting next month.

For more information, visit tampa.gov/fire-rescue/info/employment-opportunities.

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