VALPARAISO, IN – In partnership with the Northwest Indiana District 1 Firefighter Training Council, the MAAC Foundation is proud to announce the graduation of its 11th Fire Academy. The ceremony will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023, at the MAAC Foundation First Responders Training Campus.
The 17 graduates representing the towns of Concord, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Michigan City, New Carlisle, North Judson, Portage, and St. John – have completed a rigorous 11-week training program that included instruction in fire suppression, hazmat operations, and technical rescue, along with other firefighting skills. They have also learned about the importance of community service and public education.
“We are proud to welcome these 17 new firefighters to our community,” said Celina Weatherwax, President of the MAAC Foundation. “They have demonstrated the dedication and commitment necessary to serve as first responders and we are confident that they will make a positive impact in Elkhart, Lake, La Porte, Porter, and St. Joseph Counties.”
“I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have trained these capable firefighters,” said Battalion Chief Chris Crail, Academy Commander. “They have learned to adapt and overcome challenges throughout the academy. It is my hope that these students understand the skills they learned here are applicable to more than only firefighting, these are skills to carry with them for the rest of their life.”
The names of the graduates and their fire departments are as follows:
Gabriel Azcona, Crown Point Fire-Rescue
Alec Barney, East Chicago Fire Department
Brian Bentley, Michigan City Fire Department
Miguel Fernandez, East Chicago Fire Department
Britney Horvath, New Carlisle Fire Department
John Jordan, Portage Fire Department
Logan Kwiatkowski, Dyer Fire Department
Richard Nagy, Michigan City Fire Department
Blake Ostrom, Concord Township Fire Department
Kobe Roberson, Michigan City Fire Department
Connor Rucklos, Portage Fire Department
Noah Sanchez, North Judson Fire Department
Jeffery Schafer, St. John Fire Department
Michael Swift, Portage Fire Department
Grant Wild, Portage Fire Department
Jacob Wood, New Carlisle Fire Department
Jacob Zakutansky, Portage Fire Department
The graduation ceremony is open to the public and will be held on:
Friday, April 21, 2023, at 6:00 PM CST
The MAAC First Responders Training Campus
Heroes’ Hangout
4203 Montdale Park Drive
Valparaiso, Indiana 46383
The MAAC’s mission is to facilitate training and skill enhancement on a comprehensive campus that is safe and inclusive to all first responders and the community. For more information about the MAAC Foundation, please visit www.maacfoundation.org.