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UTICA, N.Y. -- Nearly 30 firefighter recruits have some new things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, brand new badges and brand new jobs.

Recruits from all over the state graduated fire academy in Utica Wednesday. The 14-week course teaches recruits all of the skills they'll need to keep their communities safe.

Instructors say this class was particularly impressive with the best average test scores they've ever had.

Utica Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Wusik said, "They're going out on their own now. They're going out to their departments and hopefully everything that we taught them and they learned, they're going to use and they're going to use to the best of their ability, and be safe out there."

It was also a special day for a girlfriend of one of the recruits. He proposed to her during the ceremony with the help of his classmates.