After 12 long cold weeks, firefighters Chris Boone and Tyler Wilkins-Haigh — no longer just recruits — are back home.
The two newest members of the South King Fire and Rescue team graduated from recruit school on May 1.
Dozens of family members and new family members in the form of fellow firefighters came to the Washington State Regional Justice Center in Burien for the event.
Also in attendance was First Gentleman Mike Gregoire, who presented each new firefighter with a diploma, and also delivered a speech.
“I bring greetings from home,” he said, referencing his wife, Gov. Christine Gregoire. “She joins me in saluting you. For you, your courage and the commitment to the people of the State of Washington…in a selfish society, it is good to know there are those that are selfless.”
Company Officer Lt. Rick Peters told the audience one thing all the firefighters already knew: It was with the support of their family that they made it through the 12 weeks.
“Day after day, week after week,” he told the families gathered there. “We love you for that.”
Peters also said that this was the best group of firefighters the academy has ever produced — those that work at the academy year round said “top three.”
Peters is one of the instructors that changes each session; longtime firefighters from around the state take turns teaching at the recruit school.
This session’s group nicknamed themselves the “Magnificent 7,” and had the T-shirts to prove it.
“We put together a product we’d be happy with for the rest of our lives,” Peters told them.
Before the diplomas, it was time for some awards, including Inspirational, Most Improved and the Darrell Orndorff Bull Dog award.
Wilkins-Haigh, or “Hey Wilkins” as everyone at recruit school calls him, won one of the 12 Bull Dog awards, which were awarded each week throughout the school for the recruit of the week.
The recruits all stood and clapped for one another as the awards were given out.
There was also the 1st Due Truck Company and 1st Due Engine Company. Each chose the four recruits that were the best in the class for either the truck company — which is the group that clears the way for the firefighters with the hose, chopping out windows, doors, roofs — and the engine company, which runs the hose line into the burning building.
Wilkins-Haigh was chosen as one of the 1st Due Engine Company.
A tradition with each graduating class is to leave something as a class gift. This year’s recruits made a wood table with a glass top; underneath the glass was a photo of the class along with the patch of each recruit’s fire district.
Then it was on to the main event: Handing out diplomas, and the pinning of the department badge.
Any firefighter event would not be complete without a bit of humor. It was then time for a DVD of the experience, complete with goofy photos and rock music — and of course, credits thanking junk food.
“Humor is what get us through this job,” one firefighter said. “Without a sick sense of humor, we couldn’t get through.”
Despite the badge, the SKFR newbies still aren’t quite yet done. They still have five weeks of training at SKFR before they join a shift.
Learn more
This is part of an ongoing series on the fire recruits. The Mirror will report more on these recruits as they continue with their training and join a fire crew shift.
