The Bridgeport Fire Department is celebrating the academy graduation for the class of 2022.

This marks the completion of a rigorous 12-week training program for 21 new recruits.

It also marks the return to in-house training for the department which previously relied on the Connecticut Fire Academy to get recruits ready for the streets.

"The best thing that could've happened is the fact that we've realized going forward that we have the resources here to train our own and go back to the way it was years ago,” said acting Fire Chief Lance Edwards.

The fire chief says the recruits begin servicing the Bridgeport community at 8 a.m. Saturday.