Houston just bulked up its front line of emergency responders, welcoming 92 new Houston Fire Department cadets today as the latest class to clear the academy hurdles and join the city’s ranks. City leaders framed the moment as another benchmark in a hiring surge that they say has brought 480 firefighters on board since Mayor John Whitmire took office.
As posted by the Houston Mayor’s Office, the message saluted the 92 cadets and highlighted that the class pushes the administration’s tally to 480 firefighter hires. Mayor John Whitmire boosted the announcement with a retweet and public congratulations to the recruits and their families.
Celebrating 92 new HFD cadets stepping up to serve! With this class, we’ve added 480 firefighters under this administration, continuing our commitment to growing our ranks and keeping Houstonians safe.Congratulations to these cadets and their families your city is proud! pic.twitter.com/HHqU5cLupf
— Houston Mayor’s Office (@houmayor) February 20, 2026
Recruiting momentum and past milestones
According to a City of Houston press release, the administration has been ramping up academy capacity and last June celebrated one of its largest recent graduating classes. The city credited a new contract and targeted recruitment efforts with reversing years of attrition and projecting further gains in FY2026…