State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy leadership announced the graduation of 28 firefighters from the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. Six firefighters — Patrick Maguire, Nicholas Marotta, Chris Paolini, Eric Razney, Matthew Sharon, and George Tsonis Jr. — came from Peabody Fire Department.
Video of the ceremony was posted to the Department of Fire Services YouTube channel.
“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and (these) graduates are needed now more than ever,” Davine said. “The hundreds of hours of foundational training they’ve received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.”
MFA Recruit Program Coordinator Dean Babinea said, “Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors draw on decades of experience in the fire service to train new recruits. Through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises, (these) graduates have developed the tools they’ll need to work seamlessly with veteran firefighters in their home departments and in neighboring communities as mutual aid.”
The graduating firefighters of Class #335 represent the fire departments of Bedford, Belmont, Chelsea, Haverhill, Needham, Peabody, Reading, Sudbury, Sutton, Taunton, Tewksbury, Wayland, and Woburn.
The Richard N. Bangs Outstanding Student Award, which is presented to one recruit in each graduating career recruit training class, was presented to Firefighter Danielle Crawford of the Woburn Fire Department. The award is named for a longtime chair of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council and reflects the recruit’s academic and practical skills, testing, and evaluations over the course of the 10-week program.
Basic Firefighter Skills
Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple-room structural fires. Upon successful completion of the Career Recruit Program, all students have met the national standards of NFPA 1010, “Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications,” and are certified to the levels of Firefighter I/II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
Today’s Firefighters Do Much More than Fight Fires
Modern firefighters train for and respond to all types of hazards and emergencies. They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to gas leaks to industrial chemical spills. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice, an office worker stuck in an elevator, or a motorist trapped in a crashed vehicle. They test and maintain their equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), hydrants, hoses, power tools, and apparatus.
At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, recruits learn all these skills and more, including the latest science of fire behavior and suppression tactics, from certified fire instructors. They also receive training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, and self-rescue techniques. The intensive, 10-week program involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training, and live firefighting practice.
The MFA provides recruit and in-service training for career, call, and volunteer firefighters at every level of experience, from recruit to chief officer, at campuses in Stow, Springfield, and Bridgewater.
