ATLANTIC CITY - Twenty recruits officially joined the ranks of the Atlantic City Fire Department Friday afternoon.

The Atlantic City Fire Department has seen its share of hard times in the last couple years.

In 2010 they were forced to lay off 30 firefighters due to the down economy. However, the city was awarded the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, or SAFER grant, nearly one year ago allowing them to return 28 of those firefighters back to work.

The grant allowed the city to promote 9 firefighters to the rank of captain Thursday, and promote 20 recruits to firefighter Friday afternoon.


"Excitement, we've done all this training, all this preparation for the job," said newly promoted firefighter Brian Berrio. "I'm ready to experience fireman life."

"We've pretty much been waiting for this opportunity for a while and it seems like it wouldn't have happened, so to be standing here in this building right now, to be sworn in is the beginning of the rest of our lives," said Andray Walker.

The grant will cover two years of salaries and benefits for the 20 new recruits promoted Friday afternoon.

Chief Dennis Brook with the Atlantic City Fire Department said the promotions are a great sign for the department.

"It's going to add 20 guys to our rank which is going to add more adequate coverage to the street," said Brooks. "We've been lean for the past couple years like every other department because of the economic times."

"This is going to help us and the depleted ranks will now have more coverage on the scenes and in the public," said Brooks.

As the recruits took their oath, it was clear many of them were excited to finally reach their dreams of becoming an Atlantic City firefighter.

"It's a good feeling to give back to the community, it's a good feeling to be a pillar of the community," said Walker.

The 20 new firefighters will now join one of the six stations in Atlantic City.