Five residents graduate from firefighter training program
On Thursday June 22, five new firefighters from Dartmouth's fire districts graduated from the Massachusetts Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training program.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Deputy Director Joseph Klucznik presented completion certificates to Fire District No. 3's John Tsonis, Nicholas Livesey, Richard Racine-Martin, and Joseph Doyle, and to District No. 2's Jessica Franco.
A total 35 participants comprised the Firefighter Training Class #64. They graduated at a 7 p.m. ceremony at the Kuss Middle School in Fall River.
The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training program delivers a standard recruit training curriculum — that meets national standards — to firefighters in suburban and rural areas on nights and weekends, said District No. 3 Chief Richard Arruda via press release.
The course uses an online format blends work outside of class and online quizzes, said Arruda. This allows students more time to practice training skills with instructors and to better control their own workloads and time commitments, he added.
The graduates — totaling two women and 33 men — represent 15 fire departments, including Acushnet, Berkley, Dartmouth District No. 2, Dartmouth District No. 3, Fairhaven, Freetown, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Swansea, and Westport.