Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department To Graduate 10 Recruits

LIVERMORE, CA — Over the last 17 weeks, Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department recruits have been training and tested on grueling real-life situations, and now they're ready to graduate. On Friday beginning at 2 p.m., 10 recruits will have their badges pinned and take their oath of allegiance in front of friends and family at the Mertes Center for the Arts on the campus of Las Positas College. The graduating recruits vary from seasoned firefighters making a change in fire departments to a recruit who had never touched a fire hose prior to the academy.

Structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials, stress and grief management, emergency medical services and technical rescue are examples of what the recruits have undergone in the fire academy. Each day, they arrived at work before sunrise for physical fitness training and equipment checks. They then went through a full day of instruction and practice followed by an evening clean-up routine that usually lasted until about 6 p.m. Most nights, they studied and completed homework assignments for the next day.

"All the recruits have demonstrated that they are ready for response through extensive testing and evaluation," according to the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. Many of the recruits will report to their first shift on Saturday.

The Las Positas College’s Mertes Center for the Arts is located at 3000 Campus Hills Drive in Livermore.