Jessica Breznican had every reason to skip a special ceremony at Gaffney City Hall on Thursday night.

On Thursday afternoon she lost her home, and everything within it, to a devastating fire. While firefighters remained at her home to put out hot spots, however, Breznican took her place at City Hall on Thursday evening, standing side-byside with other candidates, to be sworn into office as the City of Gaffney’s newest reserve police officers.

Police Chief Rick Turner administered the oath of office to Mark Guimont, John Phillips, Rock Smith, Leon Irwin, and Breznican. Police officials had offered to swear Breznican in at another time, but she told them she wanted to go forward.

“This is the culmination of four months of hard work and studying,” Turner told all five of the new reserve officers. “Congratulations. You are now all family members of the Gaffney Police Department.”

Despite the fact that reserve officers don’t get paid for their service to the city, Turner conceded, “What I expect of you is a lot. I expect greatness. I expect professionalism.”

To become reserve officers, Patrol Captain Mike Segina and Training Officer Tommy Kennedy said the new recruits had to go through 154 hours of classwork, hands-on training over the course of six weeks and pass their examinations at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.

Now that they are sworn in, the new officers will start duty in the next few weeks.

Gaffney now has about 17 reserve officers, who have to put in 20 hours a month.

Generally, officials said, they have to ride with full-time officers until they put in about 240 hours, or a full year’s worth of service, before they are allowed to ride alone.

A competitive process, applicants for reserve officer positions go through multiple interviews, just like applicants for full-time police officer positions, before they are selected.