Madison Fire holds graduation for 60th recruiting class

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The Madison Fire Department officially has some new faces. The department’s 60th recruiting class graduated Friday.

The ceremony was held at the Monona Terrace. Dozens of community members gathered to watch MFD’s newest members walk across the stage.

The recruiting class includes 24 men and women.

“We have recruits coming from Kenosha, Cleveland, Aurora, Colorado, Athens, Georgia,” Madison Fire Capt. Brian Lofy said. “We have tracked almost one-thousand applicants and then each year we take between 15 and 20.”

The recruits spent 22 weeks training, eight of those directly with MFD.

“Being able to work together and prepare these individuals for what they’ll encounter after the eight weeks is worthwhile,” Lofy said.

All 24 recruits completed the half-year journey from start to finish.

For graduating recruit Alexander Elvord, the experience created impactful relationships along the way.

“To have all 24 of us start together and finish together, that means a lot,” Elvord said. “We’ve been through so much together, so it’s rewarding to see everybody here on the stage.”

The graduation ceremony cements a new wave of people to serve and protect the Madison community.

“My dad was part of the [Madison] Fire Department,” Elvord said. “Growing up, hearing the stories about how life is with the fire department, that pushed me into this career.”

The 24 graduating recruits will begin serving in the field Sunday.

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