ANDOVER – Chief Michael Mansfield is pleased to announce that an Andover firefighter has graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
Firefighter Lance Whitney was among 21 graduates from 11 departments to graduate the Recruit Firefighting Training Program Class #305.Graduates were recognized at a ceremony at the state Department of Fire Services headquarters in Stow.
The 10-week program prepares firefighters for basic firefighting, including search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, fire attack and life safety lessons, as well as non-fire responses and hazardous material response.
Firefighter Whitney, of Boston, was appointed to the Department in January 2022.
“Our Department is extremely proud of Firefighter Whitney’s hard work and for his graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy,” said Chief Mansfield. “We are proud to have Firefighter Whitney serving the Town of Andover, and I wish him the best of luck in his career.”
About 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.
To date, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy has graduated nearly 14,000 firefighters from over 450 classes.
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