Canton Fire Department's Newest Member

Canton Resident Frank Walsh Graduate State Firefighting Academy

STOW - Fire Chief Charles Doody and State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan announced the graduation of Canton Firefighter Frank Walsh as part of the 223rd class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy's forty-five-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program on February 6, 2015. This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely, said State Fire Marshal Coan. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA), a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program, tuition-free. The ceremony took place at the Department of Fire Services in Stow, MA.

Frank Walsh graduation1

Basic Firefighter Skills

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:

  • Fire Attack
  • Ladder Operations
  • Life Safety
  • Pump Operation
  • Search and Rescue
  • Water Supply

Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple-room structural fires. 

Upon Completion

Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001 and are certified to the level of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operational Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council, which is accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.

Personal Life

Firefighter Walsh grew up in Canton, graduated from Boston College High School and the University of New Hampshire. He is also a certified Paramedic.