Firefighters flock to College Station for 2012 Texas Fire Schools

COLLEGE STATION – Brayton Fire Training Field was a hotbed of activity in July, with more participants this year at all three weeklong summer Fire Training Schools.

“This is the first time since 2005 that all three summer schools have seen an increase in attendance in a single year,” said Harvie Cheshire with TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute. “This is also the first time since 1994, when I first started at TEEX, that all five Annual Schools — Spring School, Arson Seminar, Spanish School, Industrial School and Municipal School — saw an increase in attendance in a single year.”

The 83rd Municipal Fire Training School, held July 22-27, drew 1,923 students and 506 guest instructors and safety officers. The students, most from volunteer fire departments, came from 467 Texas cities and 190 counties, as well as from other states and even one student from Singapore.

The school is hosted by TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute in conjunction with the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. Thirty-five courses were delivered with the assistance of the guest instructors who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure every firefighter is well-prepared and ready to respond when the alarm sounds.

On July 15-20, the Annual Industrial Fire School celebrated its 50th anniversary, attracting more than 760 industrial firefighters and safety officers — the most since 1996. (In photo, attendees gather on the first day of the 50th Annual Industrial Fire School.) Attendees were members of industrial emergency response brigades and safety officers from some of the world’s largest oil & gas and chemical companies from across the globe. Eighteen courses were offered with the assistance of 205 guest instructors.

The 46th Escuela para Bomberos en Espa?ol drew 750 students from 19 countries for a week of challenging training in firefighting, rescue and hazardous materials as well as instructor training — all conducted in the Spanish language. Sixteen courses were offered with the assistance of more than 181 guest instructors from 14 countries.

During each school, a solemn ceremony honored tenured guest instructors at the Fire Schools who died during the previous year. Each name is engraved on the Guest Instructors Memorial Wall at the Brayton Fire Training Field.

On the evening of July 25, firefighting skills and rescue techniques were demonstrated through dramatic scenarios on some of the largest firefighting props for several hundred members of the public by TEEX staff and guest instructors.

“We are already planning for 2013 as we wrap up the 2012 schools and eagerly await what 2013 holds in store for the Annual Schools Programs,” Cheshire said.