2 Reading Firefighters Among MA Firefighting Academy Grads

STOW, MA — Two Reading firefighters graduated Monday from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) in Stow after completing the 10-week Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services has announced.

Michael Poulin and Andrew Smith were two of the 24 graduating recruits — representing 17 departments — who were presented with certificates of completion by State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.

Poulin and Smith were hired by the Reading Fire Department and sent to the MFA where they received training 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," 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 basic 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 materials spills, in addition to training for rescue operations during other emergencies, like vehicle crashes.

Additionally, recruits are trained and tested on their ability to maintain equipment like a self-contained breathing apparatus, hydrants, hoses and power tools.

At the academy, certified firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and firefighting practice. The latter is conducted under both non-fire conditions and controlled fire conditions.

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

Over 14,000 firefighters have graduated — in more than 450 classes — from MFA, which also has campuses in Springfield and Bridgewater.

In addition to Reading, the current group of graduates represented departments in Boxborough, Chelsea, Douglas, Eastham, Hingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynnfield, Medford, Nantucket, Natick, North Attleboro, Northborough, Walpole, Watertown, and Winthrop.