Town Administrator Gregory S. Enos and Fire Chief Robert Spurr are pleased to announce that Firefighter Christopher Sullivan graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) on Friday, Sept. 11.
Firefighter Sullivan was among the 16 firefighters representing eight fire departments to graduate from the MFA’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #BW03. Graduates were recognized at a ceremony and participated in a 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services headquarters in Stow.
The 10-week program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack.
Following his graduation from the academy, Sullivan is now certified as a Firefighter I/II and certified in Hazmat Operations. Sullivan is assigned to Group 3.
“I would like to congratulate Firefighter Christopher Sullivan on his graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy,” Town Administrator Enos said. “He will be a great addition to the Avon Fire Department.”
The other 15 graduates represented the fire departments of Duxbury, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Middleborough, North Attleboro, Scituate and Taunton.
“We are extremely proud of Firefighter Sullivan’s hard work in completing the rigorous training program at the firefighting academy,” Chief Spurr said. “We look forward to seeing all of the great contributions he will make to the department in the future. We are also extremely pleased to report that Sullivan will be the department’s 12th full-time member. This aligns us with the town’s commitment to increase the staffing of our four shifts from two firefighters to three firefighters per shift.”
The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:
At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, firefighter recruits learn a wide range of skills in an intensive 10-week program. Certified and more experienced firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and firefighting practice. Students are given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling. Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program, all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001.
