​At 2 p.m. today, July 23, 2020, fire recruits from both the Wichita Fire Department (WFD) and Sedgwick County Fire District One (SCFD) will graduate from the first joint recruit academy of the two organizations. Due to the current conditions attendance for the ceremony will be restricted, but it will be streamed live on the WFD Facebook page.

The seven WFD and four SCFD recruits will be “pinned” with their badges today in a joint ceremony. The academy, which spanned more than 16 weeks, was a first for many reasons, including the safety requirements due to CoVid-19 concerns. Portions of the course were held online and when the hands-on training and classroom sessions were held all safety precautions were maintained, including social distancing, PPE and regularly scheduled cleaning. The new probationary firefighters have received their assignments and are ready to serve their community.

“I am very pleased with the completion of this joint academy,” said WFD Chief Tammy Snow. “Throughout these unprecedented times the recruit instructors and training staff from both WFD and SCFD worked diligently to properly equip these new members with the knowledge and skills they need to make a positive impact on their communities in the fire service.”

Chief Snow and SCFD Chief Doug Williams will preside over the ceremony.