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Brevard County Fire Rescue graduates recruit class 2601 and administers oath to new firefighters
Summary
Brevard County Fire Rescue celebrated the graduation of recruit class 2601, with Fire Chief Patrick Volater administering the oath and leaders praising trainers, community partners and family support. The class roster of recruits was read and a pinning ceremony followed.
Brevard County — Brevard County Fire Rescue held a graduation ceremony for recruit class 2601, where Fire Chief Patrick Volater administered the departmental oath and thanked training staff and community partners.
District Chief of Training Chad KBY opened the ceremony, welcomed family and friends and lauded the department’s training instructors and adjunct field personnel for their work preparing the recruits. "This job demands courage in the face of danger, compassion in moments of crisis, and unwavering dedication to your community," Chad KBY said, urging graduates to continue training and lead future classes.
Chief Volater addressed the graduates and the crowd, acknowledged partnerships with the Brevard County School Board and Eastern Florida and recognized County Commissioner Rob Felner, Commissioner Kim Atkinson and County Manager Jim Leenfelt in the audience. Volater told recruits to embrace difficult work and to "do the right thing" in the gray areas of the job, recounting frontline examples of crews assisting residents beyond standard protocols. "If everybody is a good human, we will decrease a lot of problems not only in the fire service but in our everyday life," he said.
Following the remarks, Volater led the recruits in the oath to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the state of Florida," to follow the county charter and departmental rules and to "faithfully and loyally discharge" their duties as firefighters and paramedics. Recruits repeated each line in unison as they were sworn in.
Lieutenant Sutton read the class roster while recruits came forward to receive badges and helmets. The announced names included paramedic Bana Lee Algori and firefighters Isaiah Bish, Carrie Debush, Mark Huer, class lead Alexi Kellum, Keith Ketchins, Justin Cabel, Tiffany Lamoth, Bradley Means, Alexander Pablardo, Kyle Prantle, Sydney Regard, Brooke Robbins, Austin Snider and Zachary Williams. Family members were invited to pin the graduates during a short ceremony and a county photographer took a group photo.
Class lead Alexi Kellum addressed classmates, thanked instructors and families and urged peers to stay humble and prepared as they begin their careers. "The fire service isn't just about responding to calls. It's about being the person someone hopes will show up on the worst day of their life," Kellum said.
The ceremony concluded with a group photo and refreshments offered in the lobby. Class 2601 was officially dismissed after the pinning ceremony.
The department did not specify a total class size beyond the roster read during the ceremony. No formal votes, policy actions or procedural directives were recorded during the event.
