Brevard County Fire Rescue’s inaugural Fire Academy class, which includes mostly veterans who served in the Armed Forces, did live-burn training as family and friends watched on Wednesday, Feb. 26. It was a milestone day for the class, which is nearing the end of five months of intense training, both in the classroom and in the field.

After starting with 34 recruits, who were selected from a large pool of applicants, 32 will complete the training.

The unique training class was made possible by a federal grant approved by Brevard County’s Board of County Commissioners. The federal Assistance To Firefighters SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant provides Brevard County Fire Rescue an estimated $3.6 million to pay full salaries and benefits for the new firefighters for a period of two years. The grant puts emphasis and priority on hiring post-9/11 military veterans returning home from active duty in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

"These veterans bring with them not only physical fitness and discipline, but they have a strong work ethic and will be a valued part of our growing department," said Mike Zocchi, Brevard County Fire Rescue District Chief of Training.

The recruits carry with them the distinct honor of being BCFR’s first graduating class from our inaugural academy. The live-fire training ground at our 'drill yard' in Melbourne is a critical component in the department’s mission to provide first-class customer service when it comes to serving the citizens of Brevard County.

Training included daily morning runs, grueling calisthenics, physically challenging evolutions and classroom work. Recruits were tested daily on both physical progress and cognitive skills.

Once graduated on March 14, some will head to the field directly while others start EMT school.

Thanks to the federal grants and the commitment of both the Brevard County Commissioners and Brevard County Fire Rescue leadership, another group with more veterans will be starting in April, on the heels of this first graduating class.

State testing will follow BCFR Academy testing the first week of March. Once all have passed this final hurdle, the recruits will join their fellow firefighters in serving our community.

"We thank the families for sharing in our celebration and we look forward to seeing these highly trained individuals in the field soon," Zocchi said.

For a photo gallery of images from the training, please visit our Facebook page by clicking here.