By Annie O’Neill EBS INTERN
With a polished Bozeman Fire Department truck as the backdrop and supportive family and friends looking on, Bozeman Fire Chief Josh Waldo stood at a podium and addressed the audience with some levity: “The mustaches in this room today are on point.”
In Montana, that’s not a far cry from a job requirement.
On Thursday, June 18, the Gallatin Valley Fire Academy held a graduation ceremony at Fire Station 1 in Bozeman. Graduates Blake Martin, Nic Magliocco and Luca Rodoni completed a rigorous 10-week program led by the Bozeman Fire Department, Central Valley Fire District and Big Sky Fire Department.
The recruits’ training included hands-on firefighting, battling live fires, running technical operations and performing search-and-rescue drills, among other skills. Chief Waldo conveyed that the work itself demands not only physical strength but also the ability to work under pressure.
Despite the rigor of the program, Chief Waldo assured the recruits that the learning never stops. “Don’t train till you get it right. Train till you can’t get it wrong,” Waldo said. Despite the grueling training and bruises, each recruit graduated with a smile, ready to carry the tradition forward.
Martin, Magliocco, and Rodoni came to the academy from three very different backgrounds. A teacher, an accountant and professional trumpet player, respectively, the three found common ground in a desire to serve their community.
“We are entering a forest of good, serving the communities where we hope to learn and grow,” Magliocco said when speaking on behalf of the graduating class.
After the ceremony, Martin told EBS, “What drew me in is the chance to help others, and to do so in an immediate and active way.”
When asked what they want the community to know about the work they’ve put in to reach this point, the recruits answered in unison: “It’s for them.”
The commitment is their driving force.
“That’s why we train,” Magliocco said.“Because we’d want someone who shows up to help us to have put in that same amount of effort.”
For the recruits, their training will guide them throughout their careers, but they are also entering with a deep passion for the profession and those they serve.
