A routine training day at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow turned into a serious emergency Tuesday morning when a staff member was badly injured in a fall on campus. Crews provided medical aid at the scene and arranged transport to a Worcester trauma center. Officials released few immediate details about the person’s condition.
Response and rescue
The Stow Fire Department said crews were called to the academy around 9 a.m. and began treating the individual, whom the department described as having suffered “very serious injuries.” Two additional ambulances were requested to the site, according to NBC Boston.
Fall reportedly from drill-area window
Local sources told WHDH that the injured person is a staff member who fell out of a window in the academy’s drill area and suffered a head injury. WHDH reported the individual was taken to the UMass Medical and Trauma Center in Worcester for treatment.
Airlift attempt blocked by weather
Responders attempted to bring in a medical helicopter, but flights were grounded because of weather conditions. A flight transport crew later arrived on scene and brought the person to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, NBC Boston reported.
About the academy and safety history
The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, part of the state Department of Fire Services, operates its Stow campus at 1 State Road, where recruits and career firefighters receive classroom instruction alongside live-fire training. According to Mass.gov, the Stow site houses both administrative offices and the academy’s primary training facilities.
Local coverage notes that the campus has seen training-related medical incidents in recent years, including heat-related illnesses and an explosion during a safety course, as compiled by WHDH.
State and academy officials had not released an on-the-record statement at the time of reporting. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
