North Reading Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Fire Academy

NORTH READING — Fire Chief Don Stats is pleased to announce that a North Reading firefighter graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA).  

Firefighter Carisma Michel was among 31 firefighters from over 20 departments that graduated from the MFA’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class of #317.  

Graduates completed the 10-week program on Jan. 22 at the MFA headquarters in Stow.  

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack. The graduates are now certified at the level of Firefighter I and II and in hazardous material operation. 

“I would like to congratulate Carisma on this accomplishment, and I am looking forward to watching him grow his career here in North Reading,” said Chief Stats.  

The other graduates represent the fire departments of Bedford, Danvers, Dracut, Holden, Marlborough, Melrose, Milford, Nahant, Natick, Newton, North Andover, North Reading, Phillipston, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Seekonk, Tewksbury, and Weston. 

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. 

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