12 volunteer firefighters complete coursework

WAYNE - A dozen West Milford volunteer firefighters graduated from two different courses in November.
The graduation ceremonies were held at the Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne on Monday, Nov. 19.
The volunteer firefighters from West Milford were awarded certificates for successfully completing the Firefighter 1 or Firefighter 2 courses.
Both courses are pro-board certified through the State of New Jersey and recognized by many state fire authorities throughout the country.
The classes were held at the Passaic County Public Safety Academy, also in Wayne.
Completing the Firefighter 1 course is a requirement to be an active volunteer firefighter in West Milford Township.
The Firefighter 1 course is 180 hours in total and was scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from July through November.
Lectures and practical exercises include but are not limited to fire behavior, communications, building construction, hazmat, forcible entry, firefighter survival, air packs, fire extinguishers, ladders, ventilation, ropes/knots, overhaul, hose applications, water supply, search and rescue, fire prevention, fire suppression, and incident command system.
The Firefighter 2 course is 100 hours in total and was scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays from September through November.
Lectures and practical exercises are related to advanced firefighter topics which included but were not limited to fire suppression, fire attack, ventilation, vehicle extrication, fire cause determination, ropes and rigging, laddering, pre-incident planning, flammable liquids, rapid intervention team, fire protective systems, and incident command system.
The certificates were presented to the firefighters by the officers or senior firefighters from their assigned companies.
The following firefighters completed the Firefighter 1 course:
Leo Peterson – Company 1 Apshawa
Sean Timoney – Company 1 Apshawa
Trevor Simon – Company 3 Greenwood Forest
Aaron LeMay – Company 4 Macopin
Michael Nowicki – Company 4 Macopin
Chris Capuzzo – Company 6 West Milford
Jimmy Dygos – Company 6 West Milford
Rocco Gerace – Company 6 West Milford
E.J. Lindstrom – Company 6 West Milford
Chris Zaleski – Company 6 West Milford

The following firefighters completed the Firefighter 2 course:
Rita Vander Stad – Company 2 Community
Israel Vargas-Reyes – Company 2 Community

Ongoing training is provided to all firefighters at each of the West Milford firehouses at their weekly scheduled drills.
If someone is interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter, they should stop in at their local firehouse or contact the West Milford Fire Bureau at (973) 728-2840.