Two city men changed their firefighter status from volunteer to career.
Jorden Perez, 27, and Joseph Wheeler, 25, are at work at Fire Company 6 after an Oct. 29 City Hall ceremony where they took their oaths surrounded by family, friends and fellow first-responders.
“As reflected by their badge numbers, firefighters Perez and Wheeler will be the 74th and 75th career firefighters hired by the City of Vineland, respectively,” said Fire Director Richard Franchetta. The rookies are Vineland High School graduates who joined the department as volunteers. Perez was assigned to Fire Station 3 on Forest Grove Road and Wheeler served with Fire Station 5 on Panther Road.
Knowing there are a limited number of slots for paid firefighters, they prepared.
“If you want to do this for a living, years ahead you’re doing everything you can to make yourself marketable,” Wheeler said.
They obtained firefighter certifications and were regulars at training classes.