On July 31, 2026, the Columbia Fire Department held a graduation ceremony for Basic Recruit School 26-1, marking the completion of the training program. The ceremony included speeches, an oath of office, badge presentation, and awards. The program length was reported as 21 weeks by Chief Grace and later as 18 weeks by Battalion Chief Gorn, a discrepancy noted in the transcript. Nine recruits were expected to graduate; eight were named during the badge presentation.
Good evening. If you're please able, stand, place your right hand over your heart, and let's recite the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which it stands one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Recruit you may be seated. What's that? Good evening, everyone. My name is uh Zachary Grace. I have the privilege of serving as the City of Columbia's assistant fire chief. On behalf of the City of Columbia Fire Department, it's my honor to welcome you all to the BRS 26-1 recruit graduation. Today is a special occasion as we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our graduates. To our guests, instructors, families, and friends, thank you for joining us and for your unwavering support. Your encouragement has played an important role in helping these graduates reach where they're at today. I would like to take a moment to recognize our special guest, Mayor Buffalo. Give a round of applause. To the graduates of BRS 26-1, congratulations. Your commitment and perseverance have brought you to this proud moment. As you move forward to new opportunities and challenges, may you continue to strive for excellence. Make a positive and make a positive difference wherever you go. Once again, congratulations. I would now like to invite up Chief Schaefer for some remarks. You do not have to clap. Well, good evening. Uh, my name's Brian. I'm the 13th Fire Chief for the City of Columbia Fire Department, and it is my absolute pleasure to be a part of your evening tonight. This has been uh this has been a rough road for the gentleman uh to my left. I'm gonna speak directly to them. I've got a lengthy, uh lengthy discussion, but the fire the fire service is all about tradition and uh meaning. So this what I'm going to tell them has specific meaning. So today you're going to receive the outward signs of your new profession. The badge, the jewelry, as we like to make fun of them, the little collarbass, the name tags, the patches. That's the outward. And you've worked really hard for them. You've endured long days, you've uh suffered through demanding drills, you've been uh evaluated very differently, different difficultly. Uh you've had some tough muscles and definitely some moments of uncertainty. You've been tested of in as individuals and as a class, and today, right now, you have every reason to be very proud. But before you accept the congratulations, take a moment to recognize the people that really made this day possible. All the instructors, I'm looking at them, that invested their time, their knowledge, their experience, and their energy in you. It takes a lot to build this class, and believe it or not, this this class is 2026-1 for a reason. Guess what? There's a 2026-2 right on the heels of them. So they're already working on that, and it takes a lot of time. Uh, your families, they adjusted their schedules, they changed their plans, they accepted your absences, and they actually encourage you when the academy demanded more than you thought it had left. So, graduates, you completed the fire academy, but this achievement belongs partly to them as well. The uniform you put on today represents a lot more than just successful completion of this 21. Got it right this time, 21 weeks. Those promises aren't printed on the badge, though. They're not going to appear in uh policy manual. And what I what I really talked about in the beginning of every class, and this time I think I missed yours, was the four pillars. Who gave the speech for the four pillars?