By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
Seven new recruit firefighters graduated Friday at the City of Olean Fire Department’s Recruit Firefighter Graduation Ceremony at Jamestown Community College’s Cutco Theater.
It was the largest number of firefighter recruits in a training program in many years. Six of the recruits are from the Olean Fire Department and one was from the Salamanca Fire Department.
They are: Jeff Maybee from the Salamanca Fire Department, and City of Olean Fire Department recruit firefighters Benjamin Roosa, Noah Bartholomew, Jesse Hamed, Micah Jordan, Drew Langdon and Aiden Gregorio.
Maybee sang the National Anthem at the beginning of the ceremony.
Olean Mayor Amy B. Sherburne congratulated the recruits and welcomed them to the City of Olean Fire Department and Maybee from Salamanca.
Sherburne said becoming a firefighter means “making a commitment to your community to be there when others are having their worst day, to run toward a situation when others are running away and to put the safety and well-being of others before yourself.”
Olean Fire Chief Eric Maurouard said he watched the group over their 14-week training program. “They are now proficient in what we expect from an entry-level firefighter,” he said.
“Much more important is the progress they made in building teamwork, communication and the friendships they built along the way. They had a good eagerness to learn, to perform and a good work ethic. That is very important,” the fire chief observed.
As the end of the training period approached, “recruits began to demonstrate leadership among their classmates,” Maurouard said.
Olean Fire Department Training Officer Nick Ramire reviewed some of the training in the 14-week recruit firefighter program. It started at 6 o’clock each morning with physical training and running. Before training was over, the recruits had each run about 150 miles.
Their training spanned from getting their gear to searching for victims in smoke-filled rooms to using ladders and ropes and swiftwater rescue, pumping water and manning hoses, to hazardous materials and live fire training.
The recruits assembled a short video showing many of the training situations, including some with twists of humor.
Besides families and friends of recruit firefighters, the fire chief noted a large number of retired firefighters wearing their uniforms in attendance.
Some recruit fire fighters got their badges from their parents. Noah Bartholomew received his badge from his father, Ret. Lt. Bob Bartholomew. Micah Jordan received his badge from Retired Capt. Jared Isaman, his soon to be father-in-law. Drew Langdon received his badge from Olean Police Department Capt. Andrew Langdon and Aiden Gregorio received his badge from his father, Patrolman Michael Gregorio.
Chief Maurouard pinned badges on Jesse Hamed and Benjamin Roosa. Salamanca Fire Chief Tom Sturdevant presented Jeff Maybee with his badge.
Following the graduation ceremony, the Olean firefighter recruits received letters with their platoon assignments. They start on Monday.
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