For Immediate Release

Sunday, March 10, 2019

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

Andover Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Firefighting Academy

ANDOVER — Fire Chief Michael Mansfield is pleased to announce that Firefighter John Booth graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Friday. 

Firefighter Booth was among 36 firefighters from 23 departments to graduate from the academy’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class 271 Friday, March 8. Graduates were recognized at a ceremony at the Department of Fire Services headquarters in Stow. 

The 10-week program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack.

Firefighter Booth, 29, was hired by Andover Fire Rescue in July 2018. A lifelong Andover resident, Firefighter Booth has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Merrimack College and is also a certified EMT.

“Firefighter Booth has fully invested himself in improving his firefighting skills and serving the town of Andover,” Chief Mansfield said. “This program is time intensive and challenges recruits to meet firefighting standards of the highest quality. I’m proud to see him graduate today.”

The other 35 graduates represented the fire departments of Attleboro, Bourne, Franklin, Gloucester, Haverhill, Hyannis, Littleton, Malden, Marlborough, Medford, Medway, Raynham, Revere, Salem, Sandwich, Stoughton, Sturbridge, Wakefield, Waltham, Wayland, West Bridgewater and Yarmouth.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, firefighter recruits learn a wide range of skills in an intensive 10-week program. Certified and more experienced firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and firefighting practice. Students are given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling. Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program, all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001.

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