320 New FDNY Firefighters Sworn In

New York City is getting 323 new firefighters.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro presided over the swearing-in of a new class of probationary firefighters on Monday.

De Blasio said he wanted to thank "each and every one of these heroes'' for their sacrifice and for their service.

Officials say there are three women among the new recruits. They'll join 44 women already serving among the city's roughly 10,500 uniformed firefighters.

Officials say 17 percent of the new class identifies as black, 24 percent as Hispanic and 4 percent as Asian.

The city's fire department has historically been overwhelmingly white and male.

The new firefighters have gone through 18 weeks of training in fire suppression, medical responses, hazardous material handling and other subjects.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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