Geraldton welcomes career firefighter graduates from class of 32 picked from 900 applications across WA

Geraldton has welcomed new firefighters after graduates from the Trainee Firefighter School 91 were stationed in the city after the intensive training course. The class of 32 graduates were sent to posts across the State including Perth, Albany and Geraldton after completing the 15-week intensive course. Selected from a pool of 900 applicants, the 12 women and 20 men are taught in squads of 12 for the duration of the course which teaches practical and theoretical knowledge. This class, which attended their formal graduating parade at the Forrestfield Academy, contains one of the highest number of women in Department of Fire and Emergency Services history, including a former security officer from Italy. Previous roles of other graduates among the diverse group to join the Career Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) include a disability worker from South Africa, an former police officer from New Zealand and a former project manager from Wales. The restructure of the course saw the length reduced from 22 to 15 weeks to allow for an additional 36 graduates each year, a $23 million investment from the State Government. Emergency Services Minster Stephen Dawson said the recruits represented another significant step forward in efforts to achieve greater diversity among career firefighters. “People from different backgrounds bring new skills to firefighting which enhances DFES to better protect our State,” he said. DFES commissioner Darren Klemm said the State’s increasing number of extreme weather events have highlighted the importance of a well-trained, and well-equipped career firefighter force.