GLOUCESTER — The Gloucester Fire Department is welcoming three new firefighters who graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on Friday, according to chief Eric Smith.
Firefighters Andrew Hugel, Edward Mahoney and Brandon Poole entered the 314th Class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on July 17 and graduated on Friday, Sept. 29. 
Firefighter Hugel is a lifelong Gloucester resident and 2012 graduate of Gloucester High School who earned a bachelor’s degree at Rogers Williams University.
Firefighter Mahoney is a lifelong Gloucester resident and 2016 graduate of Gloucester High School who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire. Firefighter Mahoney’s father is a retired deputy chief of the Cambridge Fire Department.
Firefighter Poole was born in Beverly and now lives in Gloucester. He graduated from Woburn High School in 2016 and has attended Suffolk University. Firefighter Poole is also a volunteer with the Rockport Fire Department.
All three firefighters were sworn in at Gloucester City Hall on June 12, before they attended the academy.
Recruits learn a wide range of skills during the intensive 10-week Academy program at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. 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.
Hugel, Mahoney, and Poole will now attend paramedic school beginning in January.
“I am pleased to welcome these three new firefighters to our department, and I look forward to the great things they will help us accomplish,” said Assistant Chief Robert Rivas.
From left, Firefighters Andrew Hugel, Edward Mahoney and Brandon Poole at the graduation of Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Class 314. (Courtesy Gloucester Fire Department)
