New Marlborough Firefighters Honored At Academy Graduation

MARLBOROUGH, MA — The city's newest firefighters have officially graduated from the state's fire academy, and both received honors for their time spent at the program.

The Marlborough Fire Department welcomed Firefighters on Probation Maurice Jarmman and Seth Gilchrest following their graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. The two recruits were among 45 local firefighters to graduate on Friday.

Jarmman and Gilchrest were part of the Career Recruit Class #S44, a group of 21 members representing fire departments across the state. Their graduation was held in Springfield.

Jarmman received the Richard N. Bangs Outstanding Student Award, which is presented to one recruit in each graduating career recruit training class. The award, named after the longtime chair of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, recognizes the recruit's academic and practical skills, as well as testing and evaluations throughout the 10-week program.

Meanwhile, Gilchrest was selected as the class spokesman and delivered a speech during the graduation ceremony.

"There were long days in gear, evolutions that pushed us to our limits and plenty of moments where we had to dig a little deeper than we thought that we could. But, through these challenges, we learned something that every firefighter eventually learns: you're only as strong as the crew beside you," Gilchrest said during his speech. "Over time, those strangers became teammates, and those teammates became friends. That's one of the most important lessons the academy teaches us. In the fire service, no one succeeds alone."

The state program teaches recruits basic firefighter skills. They begin by practicing under non-fire conditions, and then during controlled fire situations. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack.

All of the graduated students, including the two from Marlborough, have met the NFPA 1010, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, and are certified at the Firefighter I/II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations levels by the MFTC.

"We are extremely proud of both of these men, as it shows the level of commitment that they will bring to our department and the City," the fire department wrote in a news release. " We celebrate these accomplishments and welcome them to Marlborough Fire Department and the City we serve."

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