PRESS PHOTO BY JIM MARSH

Western Salisbury Fire Department Firefighter Michael Abraham completes the 190-hour Firefighter 1 training course under the auspices of the Bucks County Community College Fire Academy. The six-month course, with meetings every Sunday at the Allentown Fire Academy at the Mack Fire Station, consisted of classroom training and live-fire instruction. Abraham's certification is accepted by virtually every volunteer fire department in the country. Abraham was one of 35 volunteers from 15 area volunteer fire departments to complete the training. The Lower Macungie Fire Department first arranged for the training to be held locally in 2011, giving volunteers an opportunity to get certification without having to travel to Doylestown, Bucks County.