Fire and Ice: Nearly 400 students find both at Spring Fire School

COLLEGE STATION – Nearly 400 students attended the 26th Annual Spring Fire Training School on March 2-7 and experienced the weather extremes of Texas — from a balmy 70 degrees early Sunday to a chilly 28 degrees Tuesday morning. As firefighters, they are prepared for severe weather and took it all in stride, many snapping photos of the rare occurrence of icicles at Brayton Fire Training Field.

The 395 fire service personnel who attended the school came from across the United States and included international students from Canada, Russia, Kuwait, and Australia. Instructors and staff with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) were assisted by 47 guest instructors and safety personnel, who donate their time and expertise to the school.

Students could select from 20 TEEX courses in a variety of specializations, including two new courses covering Industrial Emergencies for Municipal-Based Responders. Other training included airport firefighting, emergency medical response, passenger rail rescue, propane emergencies, hazmat emergency response technician, and more.

The Spring Fire School is the first of the 2014 Fire Training Schools, which include La Escuela para Bomberos (Spanish Fire Training School), Industrial Fire Training School and Municipal Fire Training School — which are all held at Brayton Fire Training Field in July.