SAUGUS — The town’s newest firefighters, Sean Bohannon, Matthew Smith, Martin Hyppolite, and Joshua Mullen, were four of 39 graduates of the 50-day career recruit firefighter training program late last week.
“I’m extremely proud of each of them,” said Fire Chief Michael Newbury.
The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers the program tuition-free. It involves classroom training in all firefighter skills, practice under non-fire conditions, and later controlled fire conditions. Students demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack before graduating. Upon successful completion of the program, students meet national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001 and are certified firefighters and hazardous materials first responders.
“This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely,” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey in a statement.
Graduates included four women and 35 men. Jason Messina of the Revere Fire Department also completed the program.
The four newest Saugus firefighters were sworn into their roles in April.
Both Smith, a Norwich University graduate, and Bohannon are U.S. Army veterans. Bohannon was a heavy duty equipment operator and served more than one overseas deployment, said Newbury.
Mullen was a firefighter in the U.S. Air Force for the past four years and is working on his master’s degree in Public Administration.
“He came to the department with a lot of certifications,” said Newbury. “It’s a good thing that he’s involved already.”
Hyppolite recently graduated from the University of Connecticut, where he played football for four years.
“It’s a multi-hazard job,” said Newbury. “To have people with different points of view and skill levels that they bring from either the military, or through fitness, is really important and it will have a positive impact on the Saugus Fire Department.”
