DIEGO IBARGUEN
Associated Press Writer
WABC TV - New York
The 307 probational firefighters are the first class of future graduates since the tragedy at the World Trade Center.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- With the mayor praising their courage, more than 300 new firefighters were sworn in Monday as the New York Fire Department began filling the ranks that were devastated in the World Trade Center disaster.
The firefighters, all men, will go through 10 weeks of training and remain on probation for a year before becoming full-fledged firefighters in the 13,000-member department. The probationary class is the city's first since Sept. 11.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani spoke of the courage displayed at the Trade Center. More than 300 firefighters perished in the collapsing towers.
``We've got as much of it now and maybe we have even more of it because of what we've been through,'' Giuliani said. People respect firefighters so much, he said, ``because you're willing to do something that most other people just wouldn't consider doing.''
Training classes vary in size, but several department officials said this class was among the larger ones.
Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said police department applications are also up 10 percent since last year. It was unclear if that was linked to the attacks.
Police said the number of missing at the Trade Center on Monday was 4,415, with 473 bodies recovered and 422 of those identified. Kerik said 79 firefighters were confirmed dead and 343 were reported missing.
Twelve bodies were removed from the rubble of the north tower on Sunday as firefighters stopped to salute.
The mayor also said the city plans to halt operations at the still-smoldering site next Sunday to hold a prayer service for relatives of the victims.
He said many families have told him ``it was very comforting in a strange way to actually be there and see the place where their loved one died, and maybe is buried.''
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