CARIBOU, Maine — Soon the city’s fire department will be bursting at the seams with graduates of the Maine Fire Service Institute’s Fire Officer Academy.
Scott Jackson, Lon Cyr and Scott Dow recently graduated from the week-long academy in Brunswick on March 18, after months of preparation. Adding to the department’s budding roster of leaders including Chief Scott Susi, who says it’s a great feeling to have those in his department take the initiative to be the best they can be in their profession.
“The class takes a lot of their free time and family time away for eight months and really shows the dedication they have for the citizens they protect and the firefighters they lead. I commend all three on a job well done,” he said.
Twenty-six Maine firefighters completed the rigorous training that began last August to prepare them for leadership roles at fire departments across the state.
“As for now, one of the grads, Scott Jackson, is a new captain on Crew Three. The class will start him off in the right direction. The other two grads are on shifts and bring new knowledge back to the crews.”
The week-long school focused on legal issues, budgeting, media relations, conflict resolution and other topics that are part of the job for chiefs and other senior fire officials. Those who complete the academy meet the training requirements for national fire officer certification through the Pro Board Fire Service Professional Qualifications System, also known as Pro Board.
“I really promote education within the department. I feel you should lead from the front and by me taking these classes myself, I hope to promote interest from the rest of the department. A well-educated firefighter will make educated decisions when the time arises and give them options to complete a task they face in the most unruly of times,” Chief Susi said.
A graduation ceremony was held at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast. The Maine Fire Service Institute is a department of Southern Maine Community College and provides training and education services to firefighters across the state.
Graduates from this year’s Officer Training Academy came from fire departments in Bar Harbor, Biddeford, Caribou, Durham, Gardiner, Presque Isle, Rockland, Saco, Sanford, Waterville and Winslow.
“Leadership is a day-to-day task that is part of the fire house and the profession, this class will give them more of a foundation to build on as future leaders. The goal will be to enroll three more in the next class starting at the end of this summer.”
