The Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Emergency Medical Division's inaugural Emergency Medical Technician recruit class will graduate tomorrow, Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced today.

A graduation and awards ceremony will be held at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on the grounds of Honolulu Hale from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The 19 recruits completed 23 weeks of training and earned their state EMT licenses as well as their National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification. NREMT certification confers recognition that the emergency medical technician's training has provided professional qualifications that meet national standards.

"Ensuring the safety of our community has always been a priority of the City," Hannemann stated in a news release. "These new recruits will help us maintain the high level of care provided to both residents and visitors alike."

Dr. Elizabeth Char, Director of the City's Emergency Services Department, called tomorrow's graduation historic, while Patty Dukes, Chief of the Emergency Medical Services Division, said the new EMTs will "help the City meet its commitment to the public in providing top notch emergency medical response and care."

The inaugural class recruits will report to their new assignments on Sunday at various EMS units across the island.