“Forty-one volunteer firefighters from Montgomery County Fire Academy Class 1804 will celebrate the completion of the Pennsylvania Entry Level Firefighter Training program with a graduation ceremony,” stated Mr. Thomas J. Garrity, Director of the Montgomery County Fire Academy.

Among the 41 graduating tonight are two from the Oreland Volunteer Fire Company: Firefighter Chris Halligan and Firefighter Timothy Sibley.

The graduation ceremony will take place at 7:00 PM tonight, November 28th, at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus located at 1175 Conshohocken Road in (Plymouth Township) Conshohocken.

“These men and women will protect their communities as firefighters in 39 volunteer and combination fire companies in Montgomery, Berks, Chester, and Delaware Counties,” explained Mr. Garrity.

“Montgomery County Director of Public Safety, Mr. Thomas M. Sullivan, will welcome the graduates and their families to the graduation ceremony,” stated Mr. Garrity.  “Dr. Deborah Feairheller, Assistant Professor of Health and Exercise Physiology and Director of the HEART Laboratory at Ursinus College will give the commencement speech.  Dr. Feairheller is also a volunteer firefighter.”

“The Montgomery County Fire Academy provides an entry level curriculum for recruits of all ages who are new to the fire service as well as well as ongoing training for experienced firefighters,” according to a statement issued by Montgomery County.  “In addition to classroom instructions, our cadre of over 150 part-time instructors provide hands-on practical skills training using our state-of-the-art structural burn building, drill tower, smoke house, drafting pit and flammable gas pad.”

The photographs are provided courtesy of Montgomery County, 2018.