Ohio Fire Academy Celebrates First Graduating Firefighter Class of 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal's (SFM's) Ohio Fire Academy celebrated its first graduating Firefighter I & II class of 2026 today. The 34 individuals who make up Firefighter Class 243 were recognized at a graduation ceremony this morning at the Division's campus in Reynoldsburg. To see a complete list of graduates and their hometowns, click here.

This graduating class successfully completed the academically and physically rigorous 10-week, 468-hour program. The extensive firefighter training program is the only program in the state where students can earn eight additional certifications in addition to their Firefighter I & II state certifications. The graduates are now equipped with the qualifications they need to join the fire service.

"We're incredibly proud of this class and everything they have accomplished," said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. "These cadets arrived on campus back in February and had to work through some brutal winter weather. Because of those challenges, this class is even more prepared to help serve their communities."

In addition to basic firefighter skills, students learn essential job functions including professionalism, leadership, teamwork, honor, firefighter safety, emergency vehicle operation, and apparatus pumping.

Of the 34 graduates, six are volunteers who were able to attend the Academy at no cost to them or their department. The Academy has waived fees for volunteers since 2023 in an effort to help support and grow the volunteer fire service across the state. The free training was one of several steps taken by the Division of State Fire Marshal following recommendations made by the 2023 Governor's Volunteer Fire Service Task Force, which set out to address the declining number of volunteers in the state.

William Hilbrunner is one of those volunteer firefighters who graduated with Firefighter Class 243. He will now return to service with the Rootstown Fire Department in Portage County.

"This course was mentally and physically demanding but it was all worth it in the end," he said. "The brothers and sisters we made along the way made it all worth it and it was great to have them there to push you when things got hard."

After graduating today, Lola Mann will now return to the Bowling Green Fire Division where she will help serve her community.

"The last 10 weeks have been challenging but have been a great opportunity to improve the skills that we have been learning, with everything leading up to the end point of live fires, which was an awesome chance to put all your skills to test," she said. "It was a great opportunity to be here and to be surrounded by other people who want to be in the same career and who work hard."

The graduation ceremony was livestreamed on the State Fire Marshal's Facebook page, and a recording is available here. Photos of the ceremony are attached.

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About the Division of State Fire Marshal

The Division of State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The department is Ohio's chief regulatory agency, focused on promoting prosperity and protecting what matters most to Ohioans. We ensure businesses follow the laws that help them create jobs and keep Ohioans safe. To learn more about what we do, visit our website at com.ohio.gov.