HAVERHILL — The Fire Department recently welcomed new call/volunteer recruit Michael Jarvis, who completed training at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow.
Well known in Haverhill for his on-scene photography of fires and other emergencies, Jarvis was among the 25 recruits who graduated from the Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program.
Fire Chief Robert O’Brien said Jarvis will be serving at the Ayers Village station.
Call/volunteer firefighters are called upon when needed to respond to working fires, O’Brien said, adding call firefighters are paid based on an established pay rate.
Also, call firefighters like Jarvis engage in monthly training to keep their skills sharp, O’Brien said.
The Ayers and Rocks Village fire stations have three call firefighters each and each station has one pumper truck.
Several Haverhill call firefighters have taken the civil service test and became full-time firefighters.
“Every applicant must successfully pass the civil service test and score well enough to be brought into the interview process when we are looking to hire,” O’Brien said.
Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors draw on decades of experience in the fire service to train new recruits, according to Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Director Eric Littmann, noting that through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises, the graduates developed the tools they’ll need to protect their communities.
The graduating firefighters of Class 113 represent the fire departments of Boylston, Carlisle, Grafton, Haverhill, Holland, Hopedale, Lincoln, Millis, Millville, Northbridge, Oakham, Paxton, Rutland, Shirley, Tyngsborough, Uxbridge, Wenham, and Weston.
The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training Program is unique in that it delivers a standard recruit training curriculum, meeting national standards, on nights and weekends to accommodate the schedule of firefighters in suburban and rural areas. Making the training more accessible means more firefighters can participate and allows them more time to practice training skills with instructors.
At the Academy, students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room structural fires.
After successfully completing the program, all students have met the standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001. In addition, they have the ability to become certified to the level of Firefighter I/II and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.