STOW, MA —Wilmington firefighter Matthew Stone graduated Friday from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) in Stow after completing the 10-week Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services has announced.

Stone was one of 26 graduating recruits — representing 13 departments — who were presented with certificates of completion by State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey in a morning ceremony.

After being hired by the Wilmington Fire Department, Stone was sent to the MFA for training, which is of no cost to the recruits or the municipality.

"First responders are on the frontlines protecting their communities, and these newest firefighters are needed now more than ever," Ostroskey said. "The rigorous professional training they've received provides them with the physical, mental and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely."

At the academy, students receive classroom training in basic firefighter skills and they practice under non-fire conditions and controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack.

Students also are trained in other duties that firefighters are asked to perform like: chemical and environmental emergencies — like the suspected presence of carbon monoxide, fentanyl overdoses or gas leaks — and all types of rescue, including saving people trapped in vehicles that have crashed or children who have fallen through the ice.

Additionally, recruits are trained and tested on their ability to maintain equipment like a self-contained breathing apparatus, hydrants, hoses and power tools.

More than 14,000 firefighters have trained at the MFA — which also has campuses in Springfield and Bridgewater — in its 51 years.

In addition to Wilmington, the current group of graduates represented departments in Acton, Attleboro, Billerica, Blackstone, Chelmsford, Dracut, Gardner, Lexington, Plainville, Tewksbury, Westford, Wilmington, and Woburn.

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