New Class of Miami Fire Rescue recruits sworn in
MIAMI - A proud day for Miami Fire Rescue as a new class of recruits gets sworn in. CBS4 met some of the city's newest firefighters.
"My father was a firefighter for this department so my whole life I knew this is what I wanted," Juangel Hernandez Jr. said.
For as long as Hernandez could remember, he dreamed of putting on the Miami Fire and Rescue uniform, but it wasn't just because of his dad.
"My biggest goal was this patch right here. I wanted to share the same one my mom has, that's been my biggest motivating factor, it's crazy to me that we share that goal now," he explained.
His mom is a 15-year veteran, Miami Police Sergeant Yusimi Rodriguez.
"I have no words I am extremely proud of him, he's worked very hard, it's been a lifelong dream," she told CBS4.
Getting through to graduation day was no easy task, some recruits didn't make it.
Those that did are now part of the Lucky 13, a name the graduates decided to use to remember their graduating class.
Part of the training required physical endurance, as well as, mental skills. From learning to open a locked building on fire, to rappelling down several stories, along with standard fire suppression tactics, it was tough work, but Hernandez kept his end goal in mind, and he's not done.
He hopes to train to become a medic to assist the city's SWAT team in the near future.
"This is a brother and sisterhood, once you join this organization you'll see that it's not just your family at home, you have a family here for 24 hours so that's your at-work family," he added.
The Lucky 13 now join about 800 other firefighters at 15 stations across the City of Miami.