STOW, Mass. — A career firefighter with 30 years of experience in Massachusetts and Nevada has been named director of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said.

 

Eric S. Littmann, who most recently held the rank of captain at the Medfield Fire Department, took over as Academy director on Jan. 8. He previously served for more than 20 years with the Las Vegas Fire Rescue Department, where he held a series of high-level training positions including training captain of the LVFR Training Center and regional flashover instructor for three fire departments in the Las Vegas Valley area.

 

A 1997 graduate of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy's Career Recruit Training Program with a degree in Fire Science Management, Littmann is a Massachusetts native and began his career at the Cotuit Fire Department. He is a certified paramedic, fire instructor, fire officer, safety officer, and fire prevention officer.

 

"The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy provides the highest levels of professional training to firefighters at every level of experience, from recruit to chief officer," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Mr. Littmann's extensive fire service background, his leadership experience, and his commitment to firefighters' professional development will serve him and our Commonwealth well in the months and years to come."

 

"As a graduate of the Academy, I have the highest level of respect for the institution, its staff, and its mission," Mr. Littmann said. "I look forward to working with our instructors, our partners, and our stakeholders to meet the emerging needs of Massachusetts firefighters, their departments, and the communities they protect."

 

In his new role, Mr. Littmann supervises about 13 full-time employees and 450 part-time instructors, most of whom are active duty or retired firefighters. First established by the Legislature in 1971 under what was then the Division of Occupational Education, the MFA is now a division of the Department of Fire Services and provides recruit and in-service training at campuses in Stow, Springfield, and Bridgewater. It also offers certain courses online and delivers others directly to local fire departments. The Academy serves more than 10,000 Massachusetts firefighters at every level of experience from recruit to chief each year.

 

As the MFA's chief administrator, Mr. Littmann is supported by the MFA's Deputy Director for Training, Dennis A. Ball, and Deputy Director for Administration, Joanne Gardiner. He succeeds former MFA director Jeffrey P. Winn, who now serves as director of the Department of Fire Services' Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Division.