Key West Fire Academy Graduation

In the photo: Leylah Rodriguez, Jacob Clegg, Alejandro Lopez, Michael Cates, Thomas Highsmith, Michael Balbuena, Camren Watson, Ja’Khai Blake, Jenkavia Harper, Jason Yarbrough, Jeremiah Osborne, Rocco Twyman, Lt. Tim Anson, and Anginio Valdez.

Fourteen Key West High School students this week graduated the Key West Fire Department’s Firefighters Academy. Proud families, members of the Key West Fire Department, and City officials were on hand during the ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of these students who have invested two years of training for their future careers as first responders.

These students earned certifications in Firefighter I, Emergency Medical Responder, and Hazmat Awareness.

Lt Tim Anson, who leads the academy, praised the group for the tenacity it requires to finish the academy, noting that they would do their grueling physical training in the early hours before heading off to a full day of high school.

City Manager Patti McLauchlin thanked the students for their community spirit and presented each graduate with a City challenge coin.

The two-year fire academy trains future firefighters while they’re attending their final two years of high school and provides them, upon completion, the equivalent training of a Certified Firefighter I, which puts them halfway through the training required to become a Key West Firefighter.

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