THOMPSON — Firefighter II students with the East Thompson Volunteer Fire Department have completed the live-burn portion of their training program, according to a department message carried by WINY Radio on October 30.
The department said the students had two weeks left in the program and identified state practical examinations as the next step. It congratulated six firefighters in the message. The announcement reports progress through training; it does not say the students have graduated or received Firefighter II certification.
The post credited Back To Basics Fire Training for its photograph. The training provider says it was established in 2019 to serve volunteer departments in northeastern Connecticut, with instruction designed around members who also work full-time jobs. Its course description says Firefighter II instruction combines classroom work and hands-on training.
The department message did not specify the date or location of the live-burn exercise. The provider’s 2026 Firefighter II photo gallery is publicly available, but the images reviewed as page links did not establish which scene involved these East Thompson students.
This report was prepared with AI from the complete department message carried by WINY and the training provider’s public website. Eastern CT News did not attend the exercise. The accompanying photograph shows East Thompson Engine 185 in a file image; it does not depict this training session.