Marblehead Fire Chief Barry C. Dixey is pleased to announce the graduation of Grant Glavin and Matthew Tina from the 181st class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 60-day Recruit Firefighting Program on Sept. 26.
Marblehead Fire Chief Barry C. Dixey is pleased to announce the graduation of Grant Glavin and Matthew Tina from the 181st class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 60-day Recruit Firefighting Program on Sept. 26.
This rigorous professional training provides the state’s newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely. It is offered tuition-free by the Massachusetts Fire Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services. The graduation ceremony took place at the Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton and featured addresses by Westover Air Force firefighter Jason Messenger and Attleboro firefighter Paul Jacques, both Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors who recently returned from Iraq.
The 70 graduates — two women and 68 men — represent 37 fire departments. At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, they learned from experienced firefighters about the skills they will need to meet the demands of their jobs, which go beyond fighting fires. Firefighters are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They rescue people from stalled elevators and those who are trapped after traffic accidents. They test and maintain their equipment, ranging from self-contained breathing apparatuses to hydrants and hoses to power tools and vehicles.
The Firefighting Academy’s intensive, 12-week program involves classroom instruction, physical-fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice. In addition to learning basic fire-control techniques, firefighters also learn about public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, water-rescue procedures, confined-space rescue techniques and rappelling.
Source Author:
Wicked Local
Source Link:
www.wickedlocal.com