Stoneham's DeCroteau Graduates From Firefighter Academy

Chief Matthew Grafton announced Friday that Stoneham firefighter Tom DeCroteau graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.

Firefighter DeCroteau completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class 253. The ceremony, which was held at the Department of Fire Services in Stow at 1 p.m., recognized 36 graduates.

A Stoneham resident, Firefighter DeCroteau was appointed to the Stoneham Fire Department in October 2015 and is assigned to Group 3. He is a certified EMT and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, having served from 2010-2014 on the USCGC Bollard.

Firefighter DeCroteau was also a call firefighter in Paxton from 2008-2010. He graduated from Anna Maria College in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in fire science and in 2013, earned a master’s degree in public administration and emergency management from Anna Maria College.

“I commend firefighter DeCroteau for committing to this rigorous training program and for his dedication to the community,” Chief Grafton said. "Since coming on board almost two years ago, he has been an asset to the department and completing the academy only adds to his value.”

The intensive 10-week state firefighting academy for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice. Previously, the program was nine weeks, but an another week was added to allow for additional time focused on water rescue, power saws, live fire training and Firefighter I/II practical skills.

Firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires, including how to contain and control them, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling.

To graduate, firefighters were required to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack (ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-room structural fires).

The remaining 35 male graduates represent the 18 fire departments of: Acton, Beverly, Bourne, Braintree, Easton, Gardner, Lexington, Lynnfield, Medford, Melrose, Methuen, North Andover, Raynham, Saugus, Shrewsbury, Somerville, Waltham and Yarmouth.