CFD welcomes new recruits during somber graduation held days after death of firefighter Andrew Price

Chicago Fire Department graduating firefighters bow their heads during a moment of silence for Andrew “Drew” Price, who was killed on Nov. 14 while battling a blaze in Lincoln Park, during a graduation ceremony at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

Firefighter graduation ceremonies are often joyous occasions, with family members cheering Chicago Fire Department recruits in the cavernous Navy Pier ballroom.

But a somber mood hung over Thursday’s ceremony as the department mourned the loss of firefighter EMT Andrew “Drew” Price, who died earlier in the week.