BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bagpipes played as Buffalo welcomes 43 new firefighters on Thursday.
A graduation ceremony was held Thursday, following 20 weeks of fire academy training. These graduates are the last candidates who completed the city's 2018 fire exam.
Among the graduates were a woman and the department's first Asian-American firefighter.
"We see diversity, strength through diversity, and we want to reflect the communities that we serve, so we're very thrilled with the diversity that was included in this class," said graduate Bao Mai.
There are now 737 active firefighters in Buffalo, and that number could grow. More than 1,200 people completed the fire exam earlier this month.
The first class of recruits will start training next February.