LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — It was a new beginning for 37 men walking across the stage at LexCity.
They started the day as Lexington Fire Department recruits and finished as Lexington’s newest firefighters. It’s been a personal journey for these graduates.
One grad, Philip Jewell, says, "Chief Wells pinned me today and that’s a huge honor because he's been in my same footsteps."
Dedication, duty, discipline, respect, integrity, courage, and honor are the values that Chief Wells wanted to instill in today's graduates as they begin their careers serving Lexington’s community.
Another grad, Zachary Fisher, says, "You can count on us to have your back and be there in your times of need."
Class 72 finished 26 weeks of training to prepare for this career. Some say they've learned a few things about themselves and the community they signed on to serve.
Fisher says, "It just builds you up and makes you a stronger person I think."
Jewell says, "So the fact that I’m actually able to have a hand in that and mold that, then in the next 25 years you might look back at Lexington like, wow that's the community I want to be a part of."
Lexington Fire Battalion Chief Derek Roberts says, "26 weeks, that's half a year, that's a thousand hours that they've spent preparing for this moment today so that they can get out and do what they've prepared to do which is protect the citizens of Lexington."
As you start to see these new graduates around Lexington, they want you to know who they are.
"The biggest thing that I want the community to know about us is that, we're a group of guys that are willing to push past adversity, are willing to push past differences, and are willing to push past anything in our way to get what we need."
