The Columbus Division of Fire welcomes a new class of cadets this morning, and 90% of them are diverse.
The new class includes 16 cadets of color and eight women. Out of the 21 total new cadets, that means 90% of the new class will be a person of color, a woman, or both.
Diversifying the city’s safety forces is a top priority of Mayor Andrew Ginther and new fire chief Jeffrey Happ, a spokesperson for the Columbus Department of Safety said .
The cadets join as paid interns in the city’s Fire Cadet Program, which was created to expose underrepresented communities to fire service careers.
The first two classes produced five cadets who are now sworn CFD firefighters, six who work in EMS, and 14 who are in either the current or next recruit classes.
