Fifty-four recruits were sworn in as members of the Nashville Fire Department on Oct. 31 after a graduation ceremony for Battalion 91 at Madison Church of Christ, officials said. Mayor Freddie O'Connell administered the oath and department leaders presented awards and thanked trainers, family members and partner agencies.

The ceremony combined traditional elements — a pledge of allegiance, national anthem and benediction — with departmental recognition. "Being present is the single greatest skill you will bring to every call," said William Swan, chief of the Nashville Fire Department, in remarks to the graduating class, urging accountability, continual learning and compassion on the job.

Why it matters: The event marked both an intake of new personnel and a public occasion for city leaders to cite recent department performance and commit resources. In his remarks, Mayor Freddie O'Connell highlighted the department's 2024 workload and said this year's city budget includes funding to add a new truck company of 18 personnel to serve Antioch, an EMS unit staffed by 12 employees, 13 additional positions in the Fire Marshal's Office and an expansion of the REACH program that pairs mental-health corresponders with fire and EMS teams. "They are not recruits anymore," O'Connell said, noting the graduates' transition to public service.

Training and partnerships: Assistant Chief Moses Jeffries, chief of training, thanked the academy staff and outside partners who supported Battalion 91. Jeffries said that when the battalion arrived "they were welcomed by a dedicated staff" and noted that three Metro Police Department officers joined Battalion 91 for the medical (EMT) portion of the training. Jeffries also announced classroom and physical-achievement honors: Detective Gary Anderson had the highest average in the EMT program (94.6), and recruit Isaiah Kiefer had the highest average in the fire suppression portion (98.7). Jeffries said the battalion collectively lost 224 pounds and gained about 60 pounds of lean muscle during training; Robert Bowman Jr. received the physical transformation award, and Adonis Scruggs received the leadership award.

Numbers and names: The training chief referred to "52 recruits" in describing who trained with the academy and the involvement of three MPD officers; Chief Swan later said there were 54 graduates at the ceremony. The department called each graduate to the stage and read a roster that included Metro Police detectives who completed the EMT portion. Names announced for awards and honors included Detective Gary Anderson, Isaiah Kiefer, Robert Bowman Jr. and Adonis Scruggs; Detective Howland was noted as "in absentia." Mayor O'Connell, Chief Swan and Assistant Chief Jeffries all thanked families, retired members and partner organizations for their support.

Community context and next steps: Leaders framed the graduation as the recruits' commissioning into a profession that demands daily presence and public service. Mayor O'Connell tied the ceremony to budget priorities aimed at maintaining response times and expanding inspection and mental-health response capacity. The department also acknowledged partners such as the YMCA (which assisted with the physical training program) and the Metro Police Department training command.

Ceremony close: After the oath was administered by the mayor, Chaplain Simeon Williams offered a benediction and Battalion 91 was formally dismissed. The event was recorded and made available through the Metro Nashville network and nashville.gov for on-demand viewing.