Author: jgprmadelyn

WINTHROP – Chief Scott Wiley is pleased to announce that three Winthrop firefighters graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) on Dec. 8.

Firefighters Matthew Amabello, Jarret Herdt and Aileen Kane were among the 30 graduates from 17 fire departments to graduate from the Academy’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class #316. The graduates completed the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program at the Stow campus.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Chief Wiley, other members of the department and the recruits’ families and friends.

“On behalf of the entire department, I would like to recognize Firefighters Matthew Amabello, Jarret Herdt and Aileen Kane on their graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Career Recruit Program,” said Chief Wiley. “These graduates are now well-prepared to serve the Winthrop community and we look forward to welcoming them to the department.”

The program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack. The graduates are now certified at the level of Firefighter I and II and in hazardous material operation.

“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “The hundreds of hours of foundational training they’ve received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.”

The other 27 graduates represent the fire departments of #316 represent the fire departments of Amesbury, Bedford, Boxborough, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Middleborough, Nantucket, North Reading, Northborough, Norwell, Peabody, Revere, Sharon, Stoneham, and Sudbury.

About 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.

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WINTHROP – Chief Scott Wiley is pleased to announce that the Winthrop Fire Department is one of over 300 fire departments across the state to have been awarded a grant as part of the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2023 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.

The $12,840.79 grant awarded to the Winthrop Fire Department will be used to purchase personal protective equipment and ballistic protection equipment.

The program provides local fire departments with a variety of equipment that makes the dangerous job of firefighting safer. This is the third year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a five-year, $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.

Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 121 different types of eligible equipment, including ballistic protective clothing, thermal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment and more.

“Every time a firefighter goes to work, they could be asked to rescue a child from a burning building, clean up a spill of hazardous materials, treat a patient with a contagious medical condition, or rush into a hostile event to rescue and treat victims,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “This program is absolutely vital to helping fire departments prepare for the vast array of hazards they face today and making sure that firefighters go home safe after every call.”

A complete list of the awards by department can be found here.

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