MONROE - The Monroe Fire Department has six new members.
About 100 firefighters and their families and guests attended a dinner and badge pinning ceremony Tuesday night at the fire department.
Chris Coplien, Tony Anglin, Andy Kubly, Travis Andrews, Ryan Cessna and Dan Ziolkowski received their badges. Each was honored as a significant person in his life pinned his badge to his uniform.
"The fire service is rich with tradition," Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said.
Badge pinning is an important event for a new recruit, because it represents a rite of passage.
It seemed only fitting that an early-morning house fire Tuesday in Monroe would bring out the new recruits, as a good way to end their training, "especially on their day of graduation," Rausch said.
"The recruits passed with flying colors," he added.
The recruits have spent more than 200 hours since Dec. 1, training in some of the coldest winter and wettest spring weather. They spent another 80-plus hours in other department duties, such as cleaning up, and untold hours studying.
They were trained not only to fight fires, but to answer the call anytime, anywhere, "to deal with problems on the worst day of somebody's life," Rausch said.
The greatest challenge for the recruits will not be fighting fires, said Josse Allen, their training officer.
"It will be a balancing act ... creating a harmonic balance between both families of the department and at home," Allen said.
About 100 firefighters and their families and guests attended a dinner and badge pinning ceremony Tuesday night at the fire department.
Chris Coplien, Tony Anglin, Andy Kubly, Travis Andrews, Ryan Cessna and Dan Ziolkowski received their badges. Each was honored as a significant person in his life pinned his badge to his uniform.
"The fire service is rich with tradition," Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said.
Badge pinning is an important event for a new recruit, because it represents a rite of passage.
It seemed only fitting that an early-morning house fire Tuesday in Monroe would bring out the new recruits, as a good way to end their training, "especially on their day of graduation," Rausch said.
"The recruits passed with flying colors," he added.
The recruits have spent more than 200 hours since Dec. 1, training in some of the coldest winter and wettest spring weather. They spent another 80-plus hours in other department duties, such as cleaning up, and untold hours studying.
They were trained not only to fight fires, but to answer the call anytime, anywhere, "to deal with problems on the worst day of somebody's life," Rausch said.
The greatest challenge for the recruits will not be fighting fires, said Josse Allen, their training officer.
"It will be a balancing act ... creating a harmonic balance between both families of the department and at home," Allen said.