For Immediate Release

Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Auburn Firefighter Graduates from State Firefighting Academy

AUBURN – Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. is pleased to announce that firefighter Richard Nicholson graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Friday afternoon.

Nicholson is one of 24 graduates from the 238th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 45-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. A ceremony was held at the Department of Fire Services in Stow today at 1:30 p.m.

The 44-year-old Leicester resident grew up in Auburn and is a certified EMT. He has been a call firefighter with the Auburn Fire Department since 2007 and became a full-time member in August 2015.

“Firefighter Nicholson is extremely hardworking and has always been dedicated to protecting this community,” Chief Coleman said. “I have had the pleasure of watching him develop his skills as a firefighter and we are so proud of him for completing this rigorous training.”

The intensive nine-week state firefighting academy for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice.

Firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires including how to contain and control them, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling.

To graduate, firefighters were required to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack (ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-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 in a statement.

The remaining 23 graduates, all men, represent the 11 fire departments of: Bedford, Bridgewater, Fairhaven, Maynard, Peabody, Revere, Scituate, Somerville, Tewksbury, Walpole, and Watertown.

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