LYNN — The Lynn Fire Department will soon be adding many new faces to the force.
On Friday, seven Lynn Fire recruits received certificates as they graduated from the State Fire Academy in Stow. State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Director Eric S. Littmann were there to congratulate and hand out the certificates to the class of 33 firefighters representing 12 communities.
Lynn recruits Anthony Atwood, Anthony Luciano, Cameron DiCarllo, Jared Thomas, Joseph Benevento, Keny Sanchez-Veriguete, and Owen Sedille went through a 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. While in the program, they received classroom training in basic firefighter skills, starting in non-fire conditions, then working their way up to controlled fire conditions, according to a statement from the Department of Fire Services.
In order to graduate, the students had to “demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack.”
“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” Davine said in the statement. “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.”
While they are firefighters, the statement said that today’s firefighters need to be prepared to and will do more than fight fires, ranging from scenarios such as responding to chemical and environmental emergencies, to an entrapped motorist in a vehicle.
“Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors draw on decades of experience in the fire service to train new recruits,” Littmann said. “Through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises, today’s graduates have developed the tools they’ll need to work seamlessly with veteran firefighters in their home departments and in neighboring communities as mutual aid.”
