COVID-19 restrictions didn't extinguish the spirit of the day for Class 198 of the Philadelphia Fire Academy

The 94 members of Class 198 from the Philadelphia Fire Academy graduate in a closed ceremony Monday due to COVID-19 restrictions. This didn't discouraged some family and friends of cadets from waiting beyond the gates to briefly see them after the ceremony. During the ceremony cadets and distinguished guests wore masks and socially distanced. The class featured a third-generation PFD member whose father died in the line of duty and four cadets from the Upper Darby fire department. The Philadelphia cadets are joining one of the busiest fire/EMS systems in the nation. The PFD handles about 800 to 1,000 EMS and fire incidents every day. Last year, the PFD responded to over 362,000 calls to 911; 265,000 EMS incidents; and 47,000 fire incidents.