On Thursday, July 1, 2021, the Valdosta City Fire Department held a graduation and promotion ceremony at Mathis Municipal Auditorium. The ceremony acknowledged the twelve new graduates, the new Fire and Life Safety Educator, and the promotion of thirteen VFD members, all of which are listed as follows:

New Graduates:

• Matthew Bridges

• Marshal Calvert

• Jacob Coleman 

• Dillon Greene

• Hudson Tanner

• Shawn Snow

• Hector Estrada

• Joshua Knight

• Christopher Lott

• Jacob Potts

• Joseph Shepard 

• William Sumner

Fire & Life Safety Educator:

• Sherina Ferrell

Promotions to Sergeant:

• Adam Casto

• Ricardo Garcia

• Justin Howard

• Davasio Johnson

• David Jones

• Benjamin Wainright

• Austin Williams

Promotions to Lieutenant:

• Caleb Clark

• Blake Daugherty

• Chad Eason

• Darren Williams

Promotions to Captain:

• Robert Mercer

Promotions to Battalion Chief:

• Tyler Shoemaker

The graduates and VFD members being promoted were joined by their families, friends, and city officials. The ceremony was also live-streamed on the Fire Department’s Facebook Page for maximum coverage.