Firefighters Noah Nielsen and James Clifton, both of the Vicksburg Fire Department, graduated Wednesday from the National Fire Protection Association1001 Firefighter I-II course held at the Mississippi State Fire Academy in Jackson.

This 7-week course included classroom and hands-on instruction in the areas of fire behavior, fire suppression, rescue, incident command, hazardous materials and other fire-related topics. This course meets and exceeds the National Fire Protection Association for Firefighter Qualifications and the uniform minimum training standards stated in the Mississippi Code section 45-11-7.

The Mississippi State Fire Academy is a division of the Mississippi Insurance Department.

Commissioner Mike Chaney and Academy Executive Director Terry Wages conclude firefighters, through their newly acquired skills and knowledge, will be an asset to the fire departments they represent in implementing fire protection and prevention for their community.