Pittsburgh graduates new class of firefighter recruits
During his more than 20-year career with Pittsburgh EMS, Wayne Epps II rose through the ranks, but never forgot about his first dream.
“I had a desire from the time I was young to be a firefighter,” Epps, 44, of New Homestead said Friday as he joined the 29 recruits that made up Friday's graduating class, the second group of recruits to complete training and join the bureau this year.
Epps previously was an EMS district chief. “It was a tough decision. I had been there for so long, you develop relationships.”
The latest recruits put on a skills display that included rappelling down a tower, rescuing a dummy from a vehicle and breaking through a door during the graduation ceremony at the fire academy on Washington Boulevard in Highland Park.
“I was absolutely amazed at their skill set,” Public Safety Director Mike Huss said. “There's so much we're expecting firefighters to know as soon as they hit the street.”
The recruits spent 32 weeks in training. A previous class of 27 recruits graduated in August, the first since 2008. Friday's graduating class brought the total number of firefighters in the department to 616, Huss said.
Margaret Harding is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-8519 or mharding@tribweb.com.
