With paramedic training already an area of expertise, Sean Putman, the first recruit of Japanese heritage to join the department, thought being a firefighter sounded interesting. After all, Akron firefighters, who receive emergency medical technician training, respond to far more medical calls than fire-related events.
Hunter Brancifort was inspired by firefighters she met at the gym during the pandemic. So she moved to Akron from Columbus to join the fire academy.
And Chris Strong, whose daughter was born weeks before he endured four months of academy training, believed in bettering himself and those around him.
The trio may never have met were it not for their common vision. And now, after joining 25 other graduates of the Akron Fire Department’s Fire Training Academy, they’re rookies.
“There’s always something to be said when people go through struggles together and you bond in that way because you know you’re going through the same thing,” Brancifort said.
On March 21, the graduates — drawn from a broad cross-section of society — gathered with family, friends and other supporters at the Akron Civic Theatre to celebrate the milestone. There, Strong’s partner, Hope Newcomer, held their six-month-old daughter as she explained his determination.
“He’s shined in his class as being a humble and hardworking man,” Newcomer said of Strong. “We’re really proud of him and know he’s going to do really well.”
Within hours of graduating, members of the academy’s class of 2025 checked in at Akron fire stations, some of them experiencing a busy first day on the job — earning social media praise from the mayor’s office.
“Our Akron Fire Department has had quite a week so far battling several fires and these rookies had a challenging first day on the job. Everyone stepped up to the plate and I’m incredibly proud of the leadership, training, and teamwork that was on full display this week. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed. Thank you for your service!”
A diverse class in Akron
District Chief Sierjie Lash said diversity is important at the Akron Fire Department, which serves a city with more than 46 distinct cultures.
“In this day and age with so much going on and when we say ‘diversity’ is an ouch word, I’m really proud of the diversity of this class representing our city,” Lash said.
– Five of the recruits were women, equaling the record for female cadets in a class. Their successful completion of the academy brought the number of women in the Akron Fire Department to 38 — nearly 10% of the workforce in a male-dominated profession.
– Eleven of the men were African American; 11 were white, and one was the first cadet of Asian ancestry in the department’s history.
– Six cadets entered the academy as 19-year-olds. The oldest was 37. The average age of this class of 28: 28.
– Education levels spanned from recent high school graduates to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
– The fire department marked the first professional career for some, while others brought years of experience as construction workers, teachers and truck drivers. Some already had fire, EMT or paramedic training.
– While most are from the Akron area, class president Gabriel Nock commuted from Youngstown. Fire Chief Leon Henderson calculated Nock put more than 5,000 miles on his vehicle over 16 weeks of training.
– Two candidates are veterans, and one currently serves in the Army National Guard.
Fire chief: Recruits ‘challenging each other, cheering each other on’
Within a week of the academy’s early December start, instructors reported to Henderson that recruits he selected were bonding like no group of cadets had before.
They were already forming a squad. “Pushing each other,” Henderson said, “challenging each other, cheering each other on.”
Captain Matthew Claflin, the academy’s chief instructor, attributed the cadets’ cohesion to robust training.
“We pushed them really hard physically and mentally to be successful and to uphold the values and support the mission of the Akron Fire Department,” Claflin said.
Recruits endured intense physical exercise, including five live fire experiences, to prepare them for gruelling conditions on the job. They also had to prepare for the heavily academic Firefighter II certification required of all career firefighters by the State of Ohio. Recruits were further required to be proficient in driving emergency vehicles.
Putman, 21, said instructors reinforced the team mindset throughout training, fostering unity through shared experiences and difficulties.
“We all came in not knowing what to expect from the academy,” said Putman, the first recruit of Japanese heritage to enter the department. “They challenged us physically and mentally, and we all grew together and helped each other out.”
Strong attributed the strength of class bonds to intentional team-building work facilitated by instructors.
“Through team building exercises and workouts,” he said, “switching us up — being partners with people we don’t really talk to — as a class, we all just came together and had a lot of experiences, talking to one another.”
Up next for this class?
These firefighters will take a national registry test for emergency medical technicians; after passing, the fire department will send them to paramedic school.