From the Fire Academy to the Firehouse: Celebrating the FDNY’s first class of 2025 probationary firefighters

The latest class of FDNY probationary firefighters is being assigned to firehouses throughout New York City after taking part in a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn.

“Today, we celebrate all of you and welcome you, officially, into the FDNY family,” FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said. “In the last 18 weeks, you have learned the basics of firefighting that will serve as the foundation of your careers. It is these skills you will fall back on years from now—skills that will be sharpened and refined with time and experience. You will recall these days not as the hardest of your lives, but as the best.”

The firefighters successfully completed an 18-week training program at the FDNY Fire Academy. The probies trained in all aspects of firefighting, including fire suppression and medical response, hazardous materials, collapse and confined space rescues, auto extrication, building inspections and procedures for engine and ladder operations.

“The FDNY is more than 150 years old. Over that time, much has changed: We have new technology, new tools, new rigs, and we respond to very different fires and emergencies than we did 150 years ago,” Chief of Department John Esposito said. “But one thing that has not changed are the values of this Department. What remains constant across generations is the bravery, the discipline, and the dedication of our members. That is what defines the FDNY—not just what we do, but how we do it and why we do it. I believe we are the greatest fire department in the world. That’s our standard, and it’s yours now, too.”

The Department’s Fire Academy, also known as “The Rock,” is a state-of-the-art training facility located on Manhattan’s Randall’s Island. It was dedicated in 1975 and officially opened in 1976. It serves as the primary training hub for FDNY fire operations.

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The first class of 2025 FDNY probationary firefighters graduated at a ceremony on May 14, 2025.