WHITMAN — Chief Timothy Clancy is pleased to share that Whitman Firefighter/EMT Matthew Busch Jr. successfully completed and graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighter Academy (MFA) on Friday, Feb. 14.
Firefighter/EMT Busch was one of 18 graduates from 12 departments in the Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class #BW33.
Firefighter/EMT Busch, a Whitman resident, has been with the Whiteman Fire Department since August 2024.
During the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program, students received classroom training in all basic firefighter skills, practicing first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students needed to demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack, ranging from mailbox fires to multi-floor structural fires.
The graduates are now certified to the levels of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations, by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
“Matthew has been a great asset to our department, and we want to congratulate him on this outstanding accomplishment,” said Chief Clancy. “I wish him the best of luck in the next phase of his career here in Whitman.”
The other 17 graduates of Class #BW33 represent the fire departments of Barnstable, Dennis, East Bridgewater, Hull, Kingston, Milton, New Bedford, Sandwich, West Bridgewater, Wrentham, and Yarmouth.
“Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “The hundreds of hours of foundational training they’ve received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.”