STONEHAM — Chief Matthew Grafton is pleased to announce that a Stoneham firefighter graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) on Dec. 8.
Firefighter Jefferson Elien was among the 30 graduates from 17 fire departments to graduate from the Academy’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Program Class #316. The graduates completed the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program at the Stow campus.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Chief Grafton, other chiefs and members of departments and the recruits’ families and friends.
“On behalf of the Stoneham Fire Department, I would like to congratulate Firefighter Elien on his graduation from the academy,” said Chief Grafton. “His completion of the course is a great accomplishment and I wish him a long and healthy career at the Stoneham Fire Department.”
Firefighter Elien graduated from Stoneham High School in 2015, and following graduation attended different colleges and universities including Framingham State University, University of Arizona Global Campus, and North Shore Community College where he completed various fire science courses.
He entered the United States Air Force in 2018. He was honorably discharged in June of 2021 as an E-4 Senior Airman. He is currently a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Otis Air National Guard Base and works as a GIS Specialist Imagery Analyst.
Mr. Elien was recently employed at the Essex County Sherriff’s Office. He is a native of Port-au-Prince Haiti and is bi-lingual in Haitian Creole.
The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack. The Graduates are now certified at the level of Firefighter I and II and in hazardous material operation.
“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 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.”
The other graduates represent the fire departments of Amesbury, Bedford,
Boxborough, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Middleborough, Nantucket, North Reading, Northborough, Norwell, Peabody, Revere, Sharon, Sudbury, and Winthrop.
About The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:
At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, firefighter recruits learn a wide range of skills in an intensive 10-week program. Certified and more experienced firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and firefighting practice. Students are given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling. Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program, all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001.