The Middletown Township Fire Academy recently held a graduation ceremony for its 26 firefighter recruits at Thompson Middle School.
Of the 26 recruits who graduated June 18, 12 are from the Middletown Fire Department. The remaining 14 are from Red Bank, Sea Bright, Hazlet, Holmdel, Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Spring Lake Heights and Wall Township.
The graduates took a 180-hour Firefighter One course that included classroom and hands-on participation and a New Jersey Division of Fire Safety proficiency exam. A passing grade of 70 percent was required.