Norton Firefighter Academy Graduate

Jonathan Drobnis of Norton Fire Department participated in the 198th class graduation of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 60-day Recruit Firefighting Program Friday, March 29.

Drobnis is among 68 graduating firefighters that represent the 40 departments of Norton, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Braintree, Chelmsford, Concord, Danvers, Dracut, East Longmeadow, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Greenfield, Holyoke, Hopedale, Leominster, Lexington, Longmeadow, Lowell, Lynn, Mansfield, Mashpee, Melrose, Middleborough, Nahant, North Andover, Northampton, Orleans, Plainville, Salem, Somerville, Stoughton, Wayland, Westfield, Westford, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn.

“This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan in a press release.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program, tuition-free. The ceremony took place at the Department of Fire Services in Stow.

The guest speaker was Marshfield Fire Chief Kevin Robinson. Last November a Marshfield firefighter was trapped in a structural collapse in a neighboring town. The immediate implementation of rapid intervention team mode and a recently practiced May Day policy lead to a quick rescue.

“This incident underscores that a firefighter’s training only starts with the recruit program and continues throughout our careers,” said Chief Robinson, who is also an instructor at the MFA.

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy recruits learn to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, water rescues, vehicle rescues, equipment testing and maintenance and more skills 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. They are also given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, water rescue procedures, confined space rescue techniques, and rappelling. The intensive, 12-week program for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and live fire practice.

 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 Recruit Program all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001 and are certified to the level of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operational Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council.