Acton Firefighter Graduates from MA Firefighting Academy

ACTON, MA — The Acton Fire Department is welcoming and congratulating its newest addition, Firefighter/EMT Marc MacLaughlan graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on Friday.

MacLaughlan was among the 12 firefighters who graduated from the MFA’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class 288. Graduates were recognized at a ceremony at the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services headquarters in Stow.

“Congratulations to Firefighter MacLaughlan for completing this rigorous training and his commitment to provide the best possible service and protection to our community,” Chief Hart said. “We wish him the best of the luck and look forward to working with him as he takes this next step in his career.”

MacLaughlan joined the Acton Fire Department in February 2020. Upon his return to the department, he will be assigned to group one working out of Station 1.

The intensive 10-week state firefighting academy for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice. Previously, the program was nine weeks, but another week has been added to allow for additional time focused on water rescue, power saws, live fire training and Firefighter I/II practical skills.

Firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires, including how to contain and control them, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling.

To graduate, firefighters were required to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack (ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-room structural fires).

The remaining recruits represent the seven other fire departments: Billerica, Cambridge, Foxborough, Natick, Shrewsbury, Templeton and Tewksbury.