Saugus firefighter graduates academy, rejoins department

SAUGUS – Saugus firefighter Donald Blandini is back with the department after graduating from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on Friday.Blandini, 26, joined the department in November where he received hands-on training before heading to the 12-week academy course in April.?I?m very excited,” said Blandini, who commuted to the academy in Stow every day. “It?s a great group of guys I work with. I?m excited to get back and make a difference. I feel like I know a lot more than I did before. I understand the pump a lot better now and operations ? I was also certified in hazmat and firefighting 1 and 2. It?s basically everything you need to know about firefighting.”Blandini graduated from Saugus High School in 2005 and soon after joined the United States Army, where he served two tours in Iraq.Blandini is back with his firefighting group on Thursday and Chief Donald McQuaid said it?s great to have some new blood in the department.?It?s always great,” he said. “The young guys ? it?s really good. We?ve got three more guys going in (the academy) in September. They?re all enthusiastic and it gets the other guys interested. Even before they go into the academy they?re being taught by the senior guys and it brings more enthusiasm to everybody. The academy is a great learning experience for them. They do a great job out there.”The academy graduated 68 firefighters from 32 fire departments. Students are trained in everything from public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation and flammable liquids, to stress management, water rescue procedures, confined space rescue techniques, and rappelling, according to a press release from the Department of Fire Services.According to the release, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack in order to graduate. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room structural fires.?This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].