11/05/2020
Please join Dunstable Fire Rescue in congratulating Denise Boodoo, Kate Kearns, and Kathleen Sanfacon on their graduation of Class 86 Mass Fire Academy Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Program. All three dedicated over 240 hours on nights and weekends to obtain training and certification in Firefighting, EMS First Responder, and Hazardous Materials Training. The community now has three additional trained Firefighters to protect our community! Congratulations and Thank You to Denise, Kate, and Kathleen for your dedication to the Dunstable Fire Rescue Department!
For Immediate Release: November 5, 2020
Contact: Jennifer Mieth, (978) 567-3189
www.mass.gov/dfs
Local Call/Volunteer Firefighters Graduate State Training Program
Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Class #86
STOW – State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey presented certificates of completion to members of the Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Class #86. The ceremony took place on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Department of Fire Services in Stow.
38 Graduates from 25 Fire Departments
The 38 graduates represent the 25 fire departments of Athol, Ayer, Barre, Berlin, Carlisle, Dover, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Leicester, Millville, Oxford, Pepperell, Princeton, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Stow, Tyngsborough, Upton, Uxbridge, West Boylston, and Weston.
“First responders are on the frontlines protecting their communities and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever. We have taken greater advantage of online learning technology, reduced training group size to increase social distancing, implemented screening, and required mask-wearing to keep our instructors and students as safe as possible during these uncertain times,” said MFA Director Evans. The MFA, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program, tuition-free.
The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training program is unique in that it delivers a standard recruit training curriculum, meeting national standards, on nights and weekends to accommodate the schedule of firefighters in suburban and rural areas. Bringing the training closer to firefighters means more can participate. Pre-pandemic it already used an online eBlended format that has students doing more work outside of class and taking quizzes online. This allows students more time to practice training skills with instructors and to better control their own workloads and time commitments.
Today’s Fire Department Does Much More than Fight Fires
Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires. They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They rescue people from stalled elevators and those trapped in vehicle crashes. They test and maintain their equipment, ranging from self-contained breathing apparatus to hydrants, hoses, power tools, and vehicles.
In this Massachusetts Firefighting Academy program, 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, to contain and to control them. They also receive training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, firefighter self-rescue, and vehicle extrication. The intensive program includes classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and live firefighting practice.
Basic Firefighter Skills
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.
Graduates have completed 240 hours of training on nights and weekends. Upon successful completion of this program, all students have met the standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001. In addition, they have the ability to become certified to the level of Firefighter I and II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operational Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
