For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-9003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Two Maynard Firefighters Graduate from the State Firefighting Academy

MAYNARD — Fire Chief Anthony Stowers is pleased to announce that firefighters Derek Maskalenko and James McGowan graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy last week.

Maskalenko and McGowan are two of the 25 graduates from the 246th 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 on Friday, July 1 at 1:30 p.m.

Maskalenko was hired in June of 2015, and currently lives in Pepperell. His father is a detective for the Pepperell Police Department.

McGowan, who was hired in July of 2015, is from Holliston where he lives with his wife, Jessica, and their four children.

Today’s graduation featured guest speaker John “Jack” Parow, Interim Fire Chief in Haverhill, who previously served as chief of the Chelmsford and the East Bridgewater Fire Departments. Chief Parow has held many leadership roles in the fire service, serving as president and chairman of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, president of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Massachusetts, and president of the Massachusetts Hazardous Materials Technicians Association.

“Firefighters Maskalenko and McGowan are hardworking and dedicated professionals. I commend the time and effort they put into excelling in their training at the firefighting academy,” Chief Stowers said. “Their newly acquired skills will be a tremendous asset to our department and to the Maynard community.”

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.

Prior to graduation, firefighters were required to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack, which ranged 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,” State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in a statement.

The remaining 23 graduates, 22 men and one woman, represent the 13 fire departments of: Beverly, Bourne, Falmouth, Foxborough, Hanover, Harwich, Haverhill, Medway, Methuen, North Attleboro, Somerville, Southborough and Stoughton.

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