On Tuesday, April 30, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue will host its largest-ever Firefighter Graduation Ceremony. The ceremony will last from 3:00-4:30 p.m., with 31 new firefighters officially sworn-in at approximately 3:45 p.m. The Firefighter Graduation Ceremony will be held at the Al Kader Shrine Center at 8651 S.W. Salish Lane in Wilsonville.

In order to don the TVF&R uniform beginning May 1, the 25 men and 6 women spent the past three-months in a rigorous and demanding training academy. States Captain Tim Dietz, Training Officer for the academy, "Our academies have been likened to boot camp. Recruits have to work incredibly hard." The academy was nearly three-times the size of a normal academy and subjects ranged from operational tactics to organizational philosophy.

The recruits were hired to, not only replace retiring firefighters, but also help the District comply with the new state OSHA regulation, "Two in, Two out." The regulation requires that four firefighters – two inside, two outside – must be present before firefighters can enter a burning building. The regulation does not apply if firefighters think someone is inside the building. The positions are paid for with a $27.1 million tax increase that voters approved in November 2000.

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