Four Nahant and two Lynnfield firefighters graduated Thursday from the state’s Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training program.
Douglas Cronin, Tara Driscoll, William Hussey, and Evan Scourtas of the Nahant Fire Department, and James Anderson and Daniel Ciulla from the Lynnfield Fire Department, were presented certificates as members of the program’s 81st class during a ceremony at Masconomet Middle School in Boxford.
“I want to commend the graduates … for their commitment to their communities,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostrosky. “These students already have full lives of family and full-time careers. (Now) on top of that, they have made an additional effort to train to protect and help their neighbors.”
After months of rigorous instruction, including 240 hours of night and weekend training, the six graduates have demonstrated they meet the standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001, according to a press release from the Department of Fire Services.
Students of the program receive classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training, and live firefighting practice. To graduate, they must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack.
“Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires,” the statement read. “They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies … 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.”
Lynnfield Police Chief Glenn Davis praised his department’s new recruits on their commitment, reiterating Ostroskey’s sentiments.
“I want people to understand … both these men both have full time careers. They’re husbands, they’re fathers, and they sacrificed their personal and family time to complete this training,” Davis said. “Their desire to serve their community is greatly appreciated. I am extremely proud of both new members and welcome them to the Lynnfield Fire Department.”
