15 New Firefighters Join the San Angelo Fire Department

SAN ANGELO, TX — Fifteen graduates from the 2017 training class of the San Angelo Fire Department (SAFD) were acknowledged yesterday evening during their graduation at the McNease Convention Center at 510 Rio Concho Dr.

Chief of Training Fred Barnett started the ceremony by acknowledging how far this class of graduates has come to reach this point.

“Watching these guys progress has been an honor,” Chief Barnett said. “There is nothing more proud then getting to see them right up there next to us [as firefighters].”

The graduates then filed in to the front of the room with their friends and family sitting behind them in support.

Here are the names of the graduates from yesterday’s ceremony: Taylor Jordan, Tyler New, Eric Bryan, Mathew Valdez, Darren Griffin, Clint Holik, Dalton Womack, James Neely, Cody Weiershausen, Jarret DeBusk, John Sanchez, Santos Chavez, Casey Madigan, Kollby Lee and Travis Holle.

One major theme that was echoed throughout the speeches was maintaining passion to be a firefighter. None of the senior staff members had to reassure the graduates of the challenges ahead of them, and all of them offered words of advice.

The Guest speaker, Daniel DeYear, Deputy Chief at the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, spoke to graduates of the humility demanded for a successful career and asked each graduate to keep their humor and passion close to them as they progress into their futures.

 “I challenge you not to lose your passion,” DeYear told the graduates.

He referenced that future leaders are going to need to keep their minds sharp and continue to read and learn every day.

“I’ve worked with many a firefighter where that [passion] has disappeared over time,” DaYear said. “Keep that passion [because] the one thing that separates the chief officers up here from being a rookie, is that they are better students.”

He added that being called a “rookie” is a rite of passage in the fire service because it represents the very foundation for the comradery between chief officers and new graduates.

“We all have commonality because we wear the same uniform,” he explained.

After this speech, the graduates were ready to receive their pins and be handed their firefighter helmets from San Angelo Fire Chief Brian Dunn.

"Our fire academy is rigorous; it has to be," Chief Dunn said. "Firefighters face challenges and have a heavy responsibilities each day on the job." 

As family members walked up to greet the new graduates, each person present showed how proud they were of every firefighter in the room.

After the graduates received their orders for which fire station they will work for, the ceremonial ringing of the fire bell began. The ringing of the bell symbolizes the call to service, which each graduate swore to take with their oath of office.

After more than two years of preparation, the class of 2017 was officially dismissed to be with their families and officially enter the service as San Angelo firefighters.

Eric Bryan, one of the new graduates, spoke of his time in training and what his hopes are for the future.

“I’m very excited, and I feel very blessed,” Bryan said.  

Bryan and the rest of his graduating class submitted their applications back in Feb. 2015. Since that day, they have continued to take the steps to graduate as paramedics.

Bryan mentioned the bonds that he has made with his graduating class, and how they are going to be long-lasting friendships. He also noted that each graduate will continue to give everything to the fire service.

“I want to keep on growing and continue to learn as a paramedic,” Bryan explained. “There’s always something new to learn, and it could be that one sentence that [isn’t] memorized that leads to life or death for a patient.”

As these new firefighters take on their new roles, chief Barnett felt compelled to summarize the kind of person it takes to be a firefighter.

“It does take a special person because 80 percent of what we do is paramedicine,” Barnett said. “The opportunity to be a firefighter and fight a fire is not as prevalent as it used to be. I hope the [graduates] get through that transition and get to [learn] more in the future.”