WILMINGTON, Del. – Wilmington Mayor John Carney and Fire Chief John Looney today announced the graduation of 36 recruits from the Wilmington Fire Department’s [wilmingtonde.us9.list-manage.com] 44th Recruit Academy. The ceremony was held at the Chase Bank Conference Center, where family, friends, and supporters gathered to celebrate the department’s largest-ever graduating class.

The addition of these new Firefighter/EMTs brings the Wilmington Fire Department’s authorized strength to 186, following the City’s recent decision to expand services to include primary 911 emergency ambulance response. The 44th Recruit Academy began on May 2, 2025, and consisted of 14 weeks of intensive training, including a six-week National Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) course, followed by eight weeks of National Firefighter I & II curriculum, classroom instruction, and practical evolutions.

“I’m proud to welcome this outstanding class of Wilmington Firefighters to public service,” said Mayor John Carney. “This is the largest group ever hired by the Wilmington Fire Department, and their commitment reflects the strength and spirit of our city. These men and women have trained with focus and discipline, and they’re ready to serve with courage, compassion, and professionalism. Our residents will be safer because of the work they’ve put in, and because of the work they will do every day moving forward.”

The new Firefighter/EMTs are:

Nashaly Alvarado-Rivera, Kevin Barnes, Kevin Boston, Aaron Brick, Tristan Caltuna, Jonathan Caruso, Raymond Chung, Sean Cooper, Israel Daniels, Michael Datz, Andrew Delussa, Kevin Flynn, Amy Grasso, Aiden Gregg, DeAngelo Harris Rosa, Joshua Hernandez, Jacob Hunsicker, Joshua Jacoby, Shaelyn Kaiser, Matthew Koehler, Shaquille Lattie, Brian Leach, Timothy Marker, Cody Masker, Jonathan McGowan, Timothy Murphy, Vincent Pasquale, Richard Prindle III, Nisa Pulliam, William Radtke, Jared Rock, Malik Smith, Shaun Trude, Zachary Vandenbosch, Jamarion Wilks, and Brody Wilson.

Several graduates were recognized during the ceremony for outstanding performance throughout the academy.

• Jamarion Wilks – Physical Fitness Award
• Richard Prindle III – Academic Award
• Nisa Pulliam – Perseverance Award
• Shaelyn Kaiser – Chief’s Award

“We are honored to welcome this historic class into the Wilmington Fire Department,” said Fire Chief John Looney. “Their dedication and commitment have been evident from day one. These men and women have successfully completed an extremely rigorous training program and are now prepared to protect life and property throughout our city. We look forward to the leadership and service they will bring to every emergency they respond to.”

The 44th Recruit Academy class was selected from a pool of 116 applicants. Each of the new Firefighter/EMTs will be assigned to active duty immediately to help support the department’s expanded emergency response operations.

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