Boston Fire Department Swears In Recruit Class of 2021 at Florian Hall Graduation

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Fire Department graduated its 2021 recruit class Tuesday in a ceremony at Florian Hall that included dozens of new probationary firefighters from Boston, Framingham, and Quincy. Commissioner John Dempsey administered the oath of office, and Mayor Michelle Wu highlighted that 15 members of the class are individuals of color and that many are multilingual, calling their language skills — including Cape Verdean Creole, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese — critical assets for emergency response in Boston's diverse neighborhoods. Wu also announced the opening of Engine 42 in Roxbury, the city's first newly constructed firehouse in 36 years. Captain Paul McCarthy, who led the academy, asked attendees to keep two absent instructors — Lieutenant Paul B. McGrath and Lieutenant Paul Flaherty — in their thoughts, saying both are battling cancer. Class representative Firefighter Paul Shillay told the crowd the 22-week Moon Island academy forged a team "stronger than we were on June 1st."