Capital City Fire Rescue welcomes six new members
Published 1:30 pm Friday, June 19, 2026
A half dozen new firefighters have joined the ranks of Capital City Fire Rescue.
Six members of the Apprentice Firefighter Program officially transitioned from apprentices to firefighters at a June 14 ceremony.
“Over the past several months, these individuals have dedicated themselves to learning the skills, knowledge, and values required to serve the citizens and visitors of Juneau,” according to a post from Capital City Fire Rescue (CCFR). “Through countless hours of training, studying, practical skills development, and certification testing, they have successfully completed the initial requirements of our program and earned the title of firefighter.”
The newest members of the CCFR team are Kajson Cunningham, Brendan Jackson, Sarah Kuhlen, Ian Mullett, Justus Paden and Lillian Thorington.
Sunday’s badge pinning ceremony marked the beginning of their fire service careers and recognized the hard work, perseverance, and commitment each of them demonstrated throughout the program.
“A special thank you goes out to the families, spouses, significant others, friends, and loved ones who stood beside these apprentices throughout their training journey,” said CCFR. “The fire service requires sacrifice not only from those who wear the badge, but also from those who support them at home. Your encouragement, patience, understanding, and support helped make this accomplishment possible.”
The department also recognized Deputy Chief Sam Russell, whose vision, leadership, and dedication were the driving force behind the success of this apprentice program.
“Deputy Chief Russell invested countless hours developing the program, mentoring apprentices, coordinating training, ensuring they received the support they needed, and overseeing the testing and certification process. His commitment to building the next generation of firefighters has created opportunities for these six individuals and will have a lasting impact on Capital City Fire/Rescue for years to come,” stated CCFR.
