Twenty budding firefighters have joined the first recruitment class of 2021.
The group are the first of two intakes this year and among the 99 new recruits who will be added to ACT Fire and Rescue over the next five years.
The agreement will grow the number of firefighters in Canberra to 438 by 2024.
The College 44 cohort will undergo 20 weeks of rigorous training and take their final assessment before graduation in June.
Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan said four women were among the class, which would increase the number of female firefighters to 22 once they graduated.
"It is good to see a class with such diverse backgrounds. We have members who have previous firefighting experience with Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service through to experience in landscaping, health, accounting and defence," commissioner Whelan said.
"It is encouraging that we are seeing more and more women joining the ranks of what has historically been a male-dominated industry."
ACT Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman said the 20 new recruits would bolster ranks in fire stations across the ACT.
"The ACT government is committed to funding more highly-trained and skilled emergency services personnel who I know go above and beyond to protect our community," he said.
ACT Fire & Rescue acting chief officer Glenn Brewer said among the new recruits was a former Fire and Rescue NSW volunteer.
"It is always good to see members of other firefighting organisations come and join our ranks in the nation's capital, bringing with them industry experience and a different perspective of the job," he said.
