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Above, William Blanchard back in 2019 being sworn in as EMS Lieutenant.
William Blanchard, Battalion Chief of the Franklin Fire Department, was one of more than three dozen fire service leaders from across Massachusetts graduated Tuesday from the 30th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said.
The four-month program for new chief officers and chief officer candidates is delivered jointly by the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and the University of Massachusetts Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management. Through classroom instruction, out-of-class assignments, and student presentations, the course delivers intensive training in the managerial aspects of leading a municipal fire department.
“The Chief Fire Officer program is a tremendous opportunity for new chiefs and rising officers,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, who graduated from the program in 2016. “The rigorous instruction in such a wide variety of topics will help these graduates provide the leadership that their departments and communities deserve. Completing the program is a major accomplishment and I want to congratulate all of them on their initiative and dedication to professional development.”
The Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program covers a spectrum of topics considered essential for effective public sector management. It includes human resource management, ethics, executive leadership, governmental and organization structures, information management, customer-focused strategic planning, legal issues, budgets and public finance, community awareness, and labor relations. The curriculum helps fire officers improve their ability to lead and manage personnel, understand employees’ needs and problems, communicate effectively to a variety of audiences, and leverage inter-agency cooperation. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program tuition-free.
Blanchard's Fellow Graduates from Across the State, Included:
Acton Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Sammet
Bellingham Fire Department Deputy Chief Robert Provost
Bondsville Fire Department Acting/Interim Chief Michael Germaine
Boylston Fire Department Deputy Chief Matthew Ronn
Braintree Fire Department Acting/Interim Chief Frederick Viola
Bridgewater Fire Department Deputy Chief Glen Grafton
Centerville-Osterville-Marstons
Mills Fire Department Deputy Chief Patrick Hill
Chelmsford Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Houle
Edgartown Fire Department Assistant Chief Joshua Baker
Fitchburg Fire Department Assistant Chief Patrick Haverty
Framingham Fire Department Deputy Chief Will Gingras
Georgetown Fire Department Chief Matthew McKay
Holden Fire Department Assistant Chief Christopher Montiverdi
Holliston Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Kelley
Hudson Fire Department Deputy Chief Brian Harrington
Lexington Fire Department Assistant Chief Donald Chisholm
Longmeadow Fire Department Deputy Chief John Rigney
Marlborough Fire Department Assistant Chief Jeffrey Gogan
Medford Fire Department Chief Todd Evans
Nahant Fire Department Chief Austin Antrim
Newbury Fire Department Acting/Interim Chief David Evans
Plainville Fire Department Acting/Interim Chief Robert Skinner
Plymouth Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Baragwanath
Reading Fire Department Assistant Chief Richard Nelson
Rutland Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Quinn
Seekonk Fire Department Chief Shaun Whalen
South Hadley-District 2
Fire Department Chief Ryan Moore
Springfield Fire Department District Chief Miguel Rivera
Sutton Fire Department Deputy Chief Robin Dresser
Three Rivers Fire Department Chief Stephen Nodurf
Tisbury Fire Department Acting/Interim Chief Patrick Rolston
Turners Falls Fire Department Chief Todd Brunelle
Webster Fire Department Deputy Chief Jeffrey Saad
Westborough Fire Department Deputy Chief Stephen Doucet
Westwood Fire Department Deputy Chief Christian Pierce
Wilbraham Fire Department Deputy Chief Mathew Walch
