Two new Dartmouth firefighters are putting on their boots and picking up their axes after graduating from the state’s Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program on May 1. 

Newly minted Dartmouth firefighters Ian Aguilar and Connor Bailey were two of 32 recruits from fire departments across Massachusetts who attended a graduation ceremony at Bridgewater State University. 

“Through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises,” Fire Academy Director Eric Littman said. “Tonight’s graduates have developed the tools they’ll need to protect their communities.”

The Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program is a firefighter training program dedicated to training firefighters in suburban and rural areas. More than 3,000 call and volunteer recruits have graduated since the program’s inception in 2003. 

“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day,” State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said. “Today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,”