North Shore Today: Moulton Criticizes Latest Travel Ban; Two Major Parcels of Land up for Redevelopment – Fire Fighters Graduate

Five firefighters graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy last night. Back row, left to right: Firefighter Colin Stokes and Chief Robert Lay. Front row, left to right: Megan Shea, Courtney Panaro, Alyssa Bosch and Jennifer Hicks. (Courtesy Photo Groveland Fire Department)

GROVELAND — Chief Robert Lay is pleased to announce that five Groveland firefighters graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy last night.

Firefighters Colin Stokes, Alyssa Bosch, Jennifer Hicks, Courtney Panaro and Megan Shea completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Class 63. The ceremony, which was held at the Pentucket Regional Middle School in Groveland on Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m., recognized 30 men and eight women.

Firefighter Stokes has been a member of the Groveland Fire Department since 2009. He previously served as a police officer with the Merrimack College Police Department. He is a fourth generation firefighter and also works as a Water Systems Operator for the Groveland Water and Sewer Department.

Firefighter Bosch moved from Beverly to Groveland two years ago with her four children and husband Christopher Bosch, who is also a Groveland firefighter. After seeing her husband attend the fire academy last winter, she realized her passion for giving back to the community and decided to pursue a career as a firefighter as well.

Firefighter Hicks spent 17 years, from 1996 to 2013, as a certified special education teacher, working to assist students with autism. She has a master’s degree in education from Simmons College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Michael’s College. Over the last year, she also earned her EMT certification.

Firefighter Panaro is currently enrolled at North Shore Community College, working to obtain a degree in Fire Protection and Safety Technology. Her goal, which she set for herself when she was a little girl, was to become firefighter.

Firefighter Shea graduated from Pentucket High School in 2015. She was first introduced to the fire service through a public safety course during her senior year and then joined the junior firefighter program in West Newbury. She plans to pursue a degree in nursing in the fall.

“The intensity of the academy guarantees that these graduates receive the experience they need to be successful in their roles as firefighters,” Chief Lay said. “I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of them and know they will serve the town of Groveland well.”

Firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires, including how to contain and control them, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling.

To graduate, firefighters were required to complete 240 hours of training on nights and weekends, while demonstrating proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack (ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-room structural fires).

The remaining graduates represent the 14 fire departments of Boxford, Georgetown, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester, Merrimac, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Tyngsborough, Wenham and West Newbury.