PLYMOUTH — Chief G. Edward Bradley is pleased to announce that three members of the Plymouth Fire Department graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy earlier today.
Firefighters Timothy Barron, Liam Cosgrove and Kyle Mason, Jr. were among 24 firefighters from 17 departments to graduate from the academy’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class 294 today, Aug. 27. 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. Firefighters Barron, Cosgrove and Mason are now certified at the level of Firefighter I and II and in hazardous material operation.
“We are pleased to have these three firefighters with deep ties to the Plymouth community join our ranks within the Plymouth Fire Department,” Chief Bradley said. “I’m proud of the work they’ve accomplished at the academy and I congratulate them on their graduation. I look forward to watching them begin their fire services career serving the Plymouth community.”
Firefighters Barron, Cosgrove and Mason all graduated from Plymouth North High School.
Firefighter Barron went on to attend Merrimack College prior to joining the department. His family has a long history within fire services with his dad having served at the Quincy Fire Department for 40 years before retiring as chief. Firefighter Barron’s brother, Joseph Barron, Jr., is a captain at the Quincy Fire Department with 17 years of service. His late grandfather, Deputy Fire Chief William Barron (Ret.), was also a member of the Quincy Fire Department and his uncle, Deputy Fire Chief Alan Predella (Ret.), served for 32 years with the Braintree Fire Department.
Firefighter Cosgrove went on to attend the University of Massachusetts following his high school graduation. Firefighter Cosgrove concurrently serves in the Massachusetts Army National Guard where he holds the rank of First Lieutenant of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment at the 164th Transportation Battalion.
Firefighter Mason attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. While attending the academy he interned with the Plymouth Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs as an assistant harbormaster. He is also a certified EMT and has experience working within the 911 dispatch system for Brewster Ambulance Service.
Firefighters Barron, Cosgrove and Mason joined the Plymouth Fire Department in January. Prior to attending the Massachusetts Fire Academy, they each completed in-house training at the department. They will be stationed at the Headquarters Station on Engine 1 beginning next week. Firefighter Barron is assigned to Group 2, Firefighter Cosgrove is assigned to Group 3 and Firefighter Mason is assigned to Group 4.
The other graduates represent the fire departments of Bedford, Chelmsford,
Fitchburg, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Lynnfield, Medfield, Medway, Newton, Randolph, Wayland, Westminster, Weston and Woburn.
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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