Boxford Firefighter John Kirk Graduates From Paramedic School

Boxford, Mass. — September 15, 2026 — Firefighter John Kirk has finished paramedic training, bringing advanced emergency medical skills to his role in the fire service. 

Kirk is a call firefighter with the Boxford Fire Department and works full time as a firefighter with the Topsfield Fire Department. He recently graduated from the New England EMS Institute ( NEEMSI) following completion of its paramedic program and required clinical training. 

NEEMSI portrays its paramedic program as a comprehensive curriculum that includes advanced patient assessment, airway and cardiac management, pharmacology, trauma care, and other aspects of advanced prehospital medicine. The present program incorporates classroom, laboratory, hospital, and field training.

The department announcement stated that Kirk has completed over 1,100 hours of education, clinical training, and hands-on experience. NEEMSI currently lists its paramedic program at 1,092 hours, but its program information and course materials also describe programs totaling around 1,200 hours, depending on the curriculum version. For that reason, this article opts for the department’s “more than 1,100 hours” phrasing instead of assigning Kirk a precise total.