PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Whitmire Congratulates Largest Fire Cadet Graduating Class in City's History
June 26, 2025 -- Mayor John Whitmire congratulated the men and women who graduated from the Houston Fire Department Training Facility today, marking a significant milestone for the City of Houston and underscoring his administration's commitment to public safety.
The graduation ceremony was the largest in department history, with 102 cadets taking the oath to serve the City.
"When I was sworn in the first month, I came to a cadet graduation. Thirty-one cadets were graduating, and when you spoke to them, most said they were going to other municipalities. We're going through the Houston Cadet class to get our certification. Great cities don't operate that way. Great cities have great fire departments,' said Mayor Whitmire."
Before Whitmire's administration, Houston firefighters worked for eight years without a contract; low morale and insufficient staffing plagued the department. That changed when the mayor's team successfully negotiated a five-year contract with a salary increase and back pay.
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According to HFD, for the first time in several years, all scheduled cadet classes are full for the following year.
- On Monday, June 26, HFD started the largest cadet class in decades, with 123 cadets joining the academy.
- The improvement in recruiting is turning the tide on staffing.
- In seven of the past years, HFD has had more firefighters leave the department than join.
- Under Mayor Whitmire and HFD Chief Thomas Muñoz, the number jumped to more than 100 additional classified members in the last fiscal year, with a projected increase of 200 for this fiscal year.
- The quality of our cadets' education is also significantly improved.
- The FY2024 attrition average was almost 45% for the cadet program.
- That number dropped to 34% for fiscal year 2025.
- HFD is projecting an average attrition rate of 12% for classes graduating in FY2026.
The fire department has instituted new recruiting efforts, such as the "Reignite your Passion" campaign, targeting HFD members who have left the department. HFD also has a new agreement with the Department of Defense through its Skillbridge program, which allows military service members to transition to civilian life by becoming Houston firefighters.
"Public safety is my highest priority, fire and police; if we're not safe, nothing else matters now. Why is it significant that we've got the largest class in this department's history? Because it affects Houstonians. It affects response time. It affects EMS, fire suppression, and fire safety," said Mayor Whitmire. "I can't thank the command staff and Local 341 enough for negotiating with my administration to secure the best benefits package anywhere in the state of Texas with morale at its highest throughout the department."
In his remarks, Mayor Whitmire acknowledged the challenge ahead and made a commitment to securing more resources for the department, including fire trucks, ambulances, and protective fire equipment.
"This is a great city. We got a great fire department, and if you want to fight fires and protect people's lives and answer medical calls, we still need you to join the Houston Fire Department," said Mayor Whitmire.