St. Paul Fire Department welcomes 20 new firefighters including two women

The St. Paul Fire Department is welcoming 20 new firefighters to it's ranks following a graduation ceremony at the Minnesota History Center.

Among them, two more women, bringing the total number of female firefighters in the city to 31.

A 42-year old mother of four, Anna Gaffaney hits the streets this weekend after 14 weeks of intense training.

"You know, it is surreal," says Gaffaney. "The 14 weeks went by in a blink of an eye. And so just to see it all come to an end, it kind of just kind of surreal and it's an accomplishment."

Gaffaney's class will also be among the first crews to utilize a new electric fire engine coming to the department this fall in a first for the SPFD.

Chief Butch Inks told graduates to always remember how hard this job can be on their families.

"It's a huge sacrifice to families that watch you go off to training every day," Inks explained. "And when you hit the streets, watch you leave for 24 hours when you're here serving the residents of St. Paul, their home, taking care of everything at home. Don't ever take that for granted."

Unlike many other cities in the country, the SPFD is well-staffed, with just under 450 firefighters.