For Immediate Release

Monday, Aug. 22, 2016

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 978-769-5193
Email: jessica@jgpr.net

Littleton Firefighter Graduates from State Firefighting Academy

LITTLETON — Fire Chief Scott Wodzinski is pleased to announce that firefighter Matthew Maciel graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy this afternoon.

Firefighter Maciel is one of 29 firefighters who completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. A ceremony was held at the Department of Fire Services in Stow on Monday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m.

A Fitchburg High School graduate, Firefighter Maciel has been a member of the Littleton Fire Department since October 2015 as a per diem firefighter and EMT. He then was hired as a career firefighter in January of 2016.

“We’re incredibly proud of Firefighter Maciel for graduating from the academy and are looking forward to him applying the skills and knowledge he has acquired out in the field,” Chief Wodzinski said. “This is a great achievement and we congratulate him on his accomplishment.”

The intensive 10-week state firefighting academy for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice. Previously, the program was nine weeks, but beginning with this class of recruits, an additional week was added to allow for additional time focused on water rescue, power saws, live fire training and Firefighter I/II practical skills.

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 Peter J. Ostroskey.

The remaining graduates represent the 15 fire departments of Amesbury, Arlington, Chicopee, Fairhaven, Gardner, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lexington, Lynnfield, Orange, Seekonk, Sudbury, Walpole, Watertown and Yarmouth.

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