Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, August 16, 2019 ASKS | FROM PAGE 1 thing to get kicked out. Q: So, what was the total? Is it more like the fewest? A: Yeah. Exactly. The less you get, the better you are. It’s like golf. Q: And the closest person, how many deficiencies did they get? A: Something like 11. Q: So, you were far and away the best of the pack. A: Yeah, they really don’t advertise what everyone else had. Q: So, you knew you were in the running, but you officially found out at the graduation ceremony? A: Yep. That was it. Q: What was the reaction of your colleagues? A: They were happy. Everyone that I talked to said I deserved it, so that was nice. And I had to go up and make an impromptu speech. Q: What did you tell them? A: I just said, “Thank you” and that I was happy to be there and that I had always grown up seeing my father be a firefighter, so it was something that I wanted to do for a long time, so I was glad to have the opportunity. Q: And now you are stationed at this station here [Essex Street]? A: I don’t know, permanently, where I am going to be. We’re still kind of filtering things out. I’ll find out pretty much what they tell me, just being the low man on the totem pole. Q: So, not much rest in between graduation (last Friday, Aug. 9) and now. A: No. We go right back into the 24-hour shifts, which is good. I’m happy to be done with the firefighting academy. Q: Please tell me a little bit about the 10 weeks and what that entailed. What was the biggest challenge of the academy experience? A: It’s both academic and practical training, so in the mornings, we go in and do 45 minutes to an hour physical training session, and then we have a few hours of lecture – all sorts of different subjects. We had a quiz every Monday morning, first thing, and then we do all sorts of practical evolutions. They have a burning building that we go into that has pretty much all different scenarios – a lot of ladder training, ropes and knots, car fires, natural gas fires. It’s a really nice campus setup that they have. I guess it’s one of the top ones in the country, so they have visitors from all over the place come out and see it. Q: And how many people in your class? A: I graduated in a class of 37. Q: So you’re the top of the 37. A: Yep. Q: You said you had two deficiency points. What were they? A: Ropes and knots. You have a time limit; they give you 15 seconds to tie this knot, so if you go over by so many seconds, you get one point. If you go over by even more, you get five points. Q: So, you weren’t quick enough in tying a knot? A: Nope, two of them. Q: So, that’s the only thing that kept you from a perfect score? A: Yep. Q: So, what kind of knot was it? A: One of them was tying a hose line. There are a couple of different knots you have to tie. And the other one, I think, was a figure eight on a bike. Probably the hardest part of the academy was just the heat. It’s pretty hot in July, but wearing all the gear in the heat and working in the fires makes it hotter. Q: About what temperature did it get up to, out in the sun with that equipment on? A: It was definitely in the 90s some days, and you’re basically wearing a snowsuit in July, so it gets pretty warm, along with the physical work you’re doing at the same time. Q: And what was the biggest Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for family since 1958 • 61 over half a century. 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They try to apply pressure to you to see how you are going to respond to certain situations under pressure. It’s not so much a military thing, but it’s definitely an aspect of “you have to get it done now” and you have to do what they tell you. It’s a “yes sir, no sir” type of atmosphere. Q: And I guess some people can’t stand it. A: Yes, they have had some people quit. It’s definitely not for everybody. Q: And they try to apply as much pressure and see how much you can take? A: Yes. It was certainly more challenging than what I was expecting it to be. And I’m also 36, and a lot of the guys there are in their early-to-mid-20s. Q: So, that’s really something, to be within that range of ages and to come out on top. A: Yes. I feel pretty good; I feel like I kept up with them. I think I have a little more life experience because I’m older, but then my body is a little older. Q: Now, for the 10 weeks, you and the other four firefighters had some preparation going into this from Capt. [Christopher] Rizza? A: Yes. We did four weeks of training with Capt. Rizza when we got hired, and I think that is when you caught up with us last year, so that’s kind of like a miniacademy, where you go over most of the academic and some of the practical situations. Obviously, there is some stuff we can’t do because we don’t have the setup for it, but it definitely gave us a head start on things. But it’s a lot of bookwork. It’s a lot of homework. Q: During the 10 weeks, do you stay on the academy campus? A: No, you come home every night. Q: Did you have a certain regimen, like you are going to study for three or four hours with the books? A: Maybe not three or four hours, but you definitely study every night. I come home, and between the Firefighter 1 and 2 books and then the HAZMAT training book, it’s quite a bit of academics. Q: Is it sort of like taking the MCAS? A: I guess. It’s standardized testing. You have to maintain a 70 average to get through, and then you have to get a 70 or better on the final in order to graduate. Q: And what did you score? A: I think my average was a 95 for the entire academy, so I did pretty well. Q: And was that tops of everyone taking the tests? A: I think there might have been one other person with a higher academic average, but because I was better on the practical, I came out on top. Q: Your dad, a retired Saugus Fire Department captain, was there for your graduation? And of course, he would have been thrilled when learning that you placed tops in your class. A: Yes. He got to go on stage and present my certificate with Chief Newberry, so that was nice. Q: And what about the plaque for being the top student? A: That was awarded by the state Fire Marshal. Q: And I guess that’s quite an honor that a few Saugus firefighters have received over the years. A: Yep. Definitely. Q: As you proceed in the early stages of your career in the fire service, what do you look forward to? What direction would you like to go in, as far as your future? A: I plan to try to move up in the fire service. I enjoy learning different things and the challenge of it. I recently got my EMT as well. I am just going to keep taking classes and learning and hope that I can move up the ranks. Q: And become a captain, like your dad? A: That would be nice someday – yes – sometime down the road. Q: Or even higher? A: I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. Q: But you definitely want to be an officer. A: Yes, I definitely want to be an officer, eventually. Q: Some men and women prefer to stay firefighters, but you would like to show some leadership. A: I’d definitely like to move up. Q: Reflecting back over the 10 weeks, is there one single skill or discipline that you mastered that you think will come into play as you proceed with your career? A: I think that the live fire training was probably the best, because that’s something that you don’t get the opportunity to be able to practice very often, and it’s only in a place like that where they have the facilities for it. Q: So, what was that like? They set a building afire? A: They just had a three-story concrete building, and they stock it with pallets and straw, ASKS | SEE PAGE 15 Summer is Here!
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