National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief and Fire Chief Vincent Hollinsid have both praised firefighter Jamal Albuoy who has earned another degree.Lieutenant Albuoy not only completed the course in Fire Science, graduating summa cum laude, but did so while still working full time with the fire service.A 12-year veteran of the service, Lt Albuoy said he decided to enrol in the Columbia Southern University course after seeing a poster. While he already had a Bachelor of Science in the field of Industrial Science Technology from Andrews University, he said additional training seemed like the best way to stay ahead of the game.“It caught my eye and I said that would me something I could work towards,” he said. “Not because it was another degree, but because the information and technical skills would be advantageous while pursuing higher positions.”He began the online course in March, 2008, with the assistance of the Fire Service, studying areas such as leadership, fire prevention and legal issues, but found carrying out coursework while still working full time an arduous task.“It required a lot of late nights, working until one or two in the morning, working on the weekends,” he said. “I’m lucky to have a very supportive wife, and thank God for giving me the drive and the brain to understand and comprehend the workload.”Mr Hollinsid said that the Fire Service regularly offers firefighters training opportunities, but said: “This is the very first man we have had sign on and earn a fire science degree while in the service.”He said that Lt Albuoy’s new degree puts him in a better position to pass on his knowledge to other firefighters.