Somerset County Fire Academy Celebrates First Graduation Ceremony Since COVID

Somerset County Fire Academy added 38 new firefighters to 24 Central Jersey departments on Friday, January 27th following their first graduation ceremony since COVID arrived in 2020.

The ceremony was a celebration not just of the accomplishments of the graduates, but of the gift of safety and hope firefighters and other first responders give the public every day. The new graduates will protect the public during home fires, floods, and other life-threatening situations.

“It is no small thing to commit to enter a burning building, to carry dozens of pounds of gear on your back into unfamiliar spaces, to be ready to save someone else’s life at a moment’s notice,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Doug Singleterry at the celebration. “You give us all the faith that our homes and loved ones are protected at all times, and that when disaster strikes there are highly skilled, highly trained, highly motivated neighbors ready to come give us the help – and hope -- we need to recover.”

The Fire Academy which was founded in 1991 is part of Somerset County’s Emergency Services Training Academy in Hillsborough, NJ, as part of the Office of Emergency Management.

“This is an exciting day. This is our first live graduation of the Somerset County Fire Academy since before COVID, so a nice round of applause for a little return to normal,” said Somerset County Office of Emergency Management Director Lisa Werner, who oversees the Emergency Services Training Academy. “I am so proud to be here to be a part of these firefighters’ training, and to ensure that this academy is here to serve the people of Somerset County for many generations to come.”

The Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy has dozens of classes scheduled throughout the spring and summer of 2023. Click here for more information.