Natick Firefigher Graduates State Firefighting Academy

NATICK, MA—State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey announced the graduation of the 255th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s fifty-day Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program on July 14, 2017.

“This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” said Ostroskey in a statement.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program tuition-free.

The 36 graduates, 34 men and two women, represent the 19 fire departments of: Burlington, Cambridge, Falmouth, Framingham, Franklin, Leominster, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Natick, Needham, New Bedford, Newton, Norfolk, Sandwich, Somerville, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Whitman, and Yarmouth.

Michael Cappadona from the Natick Fire Department graduated from the Academy.

The guest speaker was retired Leominster Fire Chief Alfred LeBlanc who served the department for 27 years before retiring in 2006.

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy they learn all these skills and more from certified fire instructors who are also experienced firefighters. Students learn all the basic skills they need to respond to fires and to contain and control them, continues the announcement. They are also given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques, and rappelling. The intensive, ten-week program for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training, and live firefighting practice.

Photo via Department of Fire Services