Chad Oxford, a firefighter for Snohomish County Fire District 1, has graduated from the Washington State Fire Academy.

Oxford, who was hired by Fire District 1 in February, participated in 10 weeks of rigorous classroom, practical and physical training at the state academy in North Bend. He was one of 33 firefighters from throughout the state, Oregon and Montana at the academy.

Prior to joining Fire District 1, Oxford was a volunteer firefighter in King County and worked as a civil engineer and construction manager for HDR Construction in Bellevue. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in construction management.

Oxford will now begin a rotation of working shifts at each of the eight fire stations in Fire District 1’s service area. The department provides fire and emergency medical services to the largest population in Snohomish County, serving more than 150,000 residents in the neighborhoods of Silver Firs, Eastmont, Mariner, Lake Serene, Picnic Point, Martha Lake, Lake Stickney, Norma Beach, Hilltop, Hilton Lake, Pioneer Trails and the cities of Mountlake Terrace and Brier.