Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 26, 2024 Saugus fi refi ghter Wallace honored as top recruit at Massachusetts Firefi ghting Academy By Mark E. Vogler F irefighter Jonathan W. Wallace was the only recruit from the Saugus Fire Department among a class of 31 to graduate this week from the Massachusetts Firefi ghting Academy (MFA). But Wallace made the biggest impression on his instructors and training staff , as he was honored with the Richard N. Bangs Outstanding Recruit Award as the outstanding student of recruit class 317. The award is named for a longtime chair of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council and is presented to one recruit in each class and based on academic and practical performance throughout the 10-week program. Saugus Fire Chief Michael C. Newbury was invited to the stage to join State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and other Massachusetts Firefi ghting AcadeA PROUD MOMENT FOR SAUGUS: Saugus Firefighter Jonathan Wallace received a hug from Saugus Fire Chief Michael C. Newbury after he was named the top recruit of his graduation class. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) my offi cials before Wallace received the award. Chief Newbury hugged Wallace after the presentation. Wallace’s wife and two children soon joined him on the stage for photos. Fire Marshal Davine said the award “is designed to train and evaluate students in the basic skills of the fi refi ghting profession. The course is demanding, both physically and academically. And completing it is an accomplishment Celebrating Our 52nd Year Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! ALL MAJOR BRANDS Singles * Tins * Bundles * Boxes * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES SMOKER’S DELIGHT! 15 HANDMADE CIGARS! Four-Year-Old Tobacco * 100% Long Filler * Cellophane $49.95 WINTER STORE HOURS: OPEN DAILY 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9AM - 6PM R.Y.O. TOBACCO & TUBES ON SALE! WE MAKE HOUSE KEYS! Green Label Cigar Sale! Buy 2 Cigars, Get One FREE! A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Chris 2024 TOP FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT: Jonathan Wallace received the Richard N. Bangs Outstanding Recruit Award during graduation ceremonies at the Massachusetts Firefi ghting Academy. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) worthy of recognition,” Davine said. “In each class, there is one student selected who has excelled in the training program. And this student is named the outstanding student of the class. This award is based upon the student’s total academic and practical skills, testing and evolutions.” Wallace graduated from UMass Lowell in 2006. Prior to joining the department last August, Wallace worked as a bartender/manager for a Boston restaurant and also worked for an HVAC company. The recruits of MFA Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #317 represent the fi re departments of Bedford, Danvers, Dracut, Holden, Marlborough, Melrose, Milford, Nahant, Natick, Newton, North Andover, North Reading, Phillipston, Reading, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Seekonk, Tewksbury and Weston. “I was proud to be a part of this group,” Wallace said in brief remarks to the crowd gathered at the academy graduation ceremonies on Monday (Jan. 22). He called it “an amazing class.” “We motivated each other to bust our asses day in and day out,” he said. Students named to Dean’s List at Fitchburg State F itchburg State University President Richard S. Lapidus has announced the students who qualifi ed for inclusion on the Dean’s List for the Fall 2023 semester. The following students from Saugus made the list: Spencer E. Froilan, Maria E. Goncalves, Cassandra N. Israelson, Kelly M. Rodrigues and Jesus A. Tabares Diaz. A student is placed on the Dean’s List for the semester if an average grade of 3.20 or better is attained, and the student is attending the university full time. Fitchburg State University enrolls day and evening students in more than 50 programs of undergraduate and graduate study. The university was established in 1894. Learn more at fi tchburgstate.edu. YOUR LOCAL NEWS & SPORTS IN SIX LANGUAGES. SUBSCRIBE TO THE ADVOCATE ONLINE BY SCANNING HERE!
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