State Fire Marshal Charles M. Duffy has announced the start of Class 2016-04 Firefighter 1 Recruit Weekend Academy at the Washington State Patrol Fire Training Academy in North Bend.

On April 8, 23 firefighter recruits started the 11 weekend recruit academy that meets National Fire Protection Association 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications at the Firefighter I, Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations Levels. The recruits will learn fire service principles through classroom instruction and rigorous hands-on live fire training.

The following fire departments and districts are represented in this Recruit Academy class:

Jake Gall, Snoqualmie Fire Department; Avery Mayrand and Evan Pearson, Snoqualmie Pass Fire & Rescue; Cooper Ashley and David Ortyn, Bainbridge Island Fire Department; Heather Reed, Eastside Fire & Rescue; Brandon Caldwell, Rein Frankie, Levi Hunt, Josh Sampson, Nathan Schaeffer and Daniel Stokes, self-sponsored Fire Training Academy; Kyle Hagge, King County Fire District 20; Asher Payton and Nicholas Singleton, Quilcene Fire & Rescue; Ross Rumann and Nicholas Coy, Snohomish County Fire District 1; Casey Dale, Snohomish County Fire District 26; Nick Naccarato, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue; Bradley John, Tucker Lazare, Stephen McCauley and Joel Tietge, Spokane County Fire District 9; Jason Fernandez, Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue and Matt Geelan, East Jefferson Fire & Rescue.