December 3, 2020 - DCA and City of Atlantic City Announce Swearing In of 16 Firefighters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, December 3, 2020

2020 Atlantic City Fire Department Recruit Class Is Most Diverse in Department’s History 

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and City of Atlantic City yesterday celebrated the swearing in of 16 new firefighters to the Atlantic City Fire Department (ACFD) during a Fire Academy Graduation ceremony in the Adrian Phillips Theater at Boardwalk Hall.

The 2020 ACFD recruit class successfully completed 10 weeks of intensive training at the Atlantic County Fire Academy. The class is the most diverse in the fire department’s history and brings the total number of firefighters in Atlantic City to 190.

“Governor Murphy and I congratulate the 16 firefighters who took their oath of office for choosing such a noble profession and for making it through a very demanding fire academy. These new firefighters are joining a fire department with a long and proud history of protecting city residents and the thousands upon thousands of people who visit the city every year,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “Yesterday’s graduation ceremony was a defining moment in the lives of these young women and men and in the history of Atlantic City. We look forward to their positive contributions to the Atlantic City Fire Department and the city community for years to come.”

“Everyone I’ve spoken with has raved about how strong a recruit class this is. My Administration couldn’t be prouder of these firefighters who are from Atlantic City and who represent our community’s amazing diversity,” said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. “We challenge each and every one of the new firefighters to keep striving and supporting one another to be the best they can be throughout their career. Without a doubt, many will end up being leaders within the Atlantic City Fire Department and beyond.”       

The graduation ceremony yesterday was the culmination of a recruitment process that began last year with an application, written exam, agility test, and interview from a panel of fire safety, city, and state officials to ensure the best candidates were selected to become Atlantic City firefighters. More than 500 people submitted applications to become city firefighters.    

All 16 firefighters who took the oath of office yesterday are from Atlantic City. Of the graduates, six are African American, six are white, two are Latino, one is Filipino-American, and one is Pakistani-American. Three of the firefighters are women, including the fire department’s first Latina firefighter and first female Pakistani-American firefighter. 

“Firefighters have to be ready at any moment to put themselves in harms way to save a fellow human being. It is the highest calling and these graduates are now prepared with the skills they need to respond to emergencies in their community,” said Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans. “They will undoubtedly miss family moments during their career, but the gain will be ten-fold as they help save people’s lives. We thank each of these firefighters for accepting the calling to this distinguished career.”

The following men and women were sworn in as city firefighters:

Malik Anderson

Rashon Brock

Walter Dale

Joseph Hackney

Turik Hamilton

Dennis Horner

Amal Khan

Brian Khoury

Shane Martin

William Mayer

Anthony Phillips

Karen Rios

Sergio Rios

Tyler Steele

Tiffanee Terrell

Quashawn Williams

For more information about the City of Atlantic City, visit www.cityofatlanticcity.org.For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: