Andover Firefighter Emma Keefe Graduates From MA Firefighting Academy

STOW, MA — Andover Firefighter Emma Keefe graduated Monday from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) in Stow after completing the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services has announced.

The academy's Class #306 had 24 graduates representing 16 departments from around the state. Attendees were hired by their local departments and then sent to the academy for the training program, which is provided at no cost to the recruits or the municipality.

"First responders are on the frontlines protecting their communities, and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever," State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said. "The rigorous professional training they've received provides them with the physical, mental and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely."

Students at the MFA learn firefighting techniques like search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, fire attack and life safety lessons.

They also learn non-fire responses like dealing with drug overdoses, gas leaks and hazardous material spills, and they train for rescue operations during other emergencies, like vehicle crashes.

Additionally, attendees are taught the latest science of fire behavior and suppression tactics and receive training in public fire education, stress management and self-rescue techniques.

At the academy, certified firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and live firefighting practice.

The live firefighting practice takes place under both non-fire conditions and controlled fire conditions and involves operations that range from mailbox fires to multiple-room or multiple-floor structural fires.

Students who have successfully completed the program have met the national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001.

More than 14,000 firefighters have trained at the MFA — which also has campuses in Springfield and Bridgewater — in its 51 years.

Monday's graduating class also included firefighters from Barnstable, Bellingham, Hingham, Hudson, Lawrence, Medford, Medway, Milford, Plainville, Shrewsbury, Tewksbury, Walpole, Winthrop, Woburn and Wrentham.