Two new Cooperative Learning Centers expand global reach

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) recently added two new Cooperative Learning Centers (CLCs) in Puerto Rico and Australia to the list of companies approved to provide TEEX emergency response training to local responders and industrial clients within their respective countries.

El Centro de Entrenamiento a Emergencias con Materiales Peligrosos (CEEMP) is a specialist Hazmat training company, which delivers its training via customized mobile training vehicles to companies across Puerto Rico. Still in its infancy, CEEMP is hoping to expand its customer base through the relationship with TEEX.

ERGT Australia is that country’s leading commercial training organization, providing emergency response and safety skills training to high-risk industries. ERGT uses simulated environments to develop skills and behaviors that address safety-critical industry needs.

In 2013, with six specialist training sites located across Australia (plus one rented facility), the company delivered more than 40,000 training days.

These new centers bring TEEX’s total number of CLC partners to 12 in seven countries, expanding the reach of emergency response training to thousands more responders worldwide, said Brian Freeman, International Training Director. The CLC arrangement also allows promotion of the Annual Fire Training Schools held in College Station as well as advanced classes which expand the knowledge and ultimate safety of responders worldwide.

The International Program at TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute has truly gone global, and program managers have had a busy year visiting current CLCs and doing site inspections for:

  • 2 sites in Colombia (Fire Safety USA [FSUSA] and Unidad Nacional De Capacitacion Y Adiestramiento [UNCA])
  • 2 sites in Brazil (FSUSA and TASK Services)
  • Mexico (UNCA)
  • Malaysia (Bintulu Emergency & Safety Training [BEST])
  • 2 sites in Puerto Rico (FSUSA and El Centro de Entrenamiento a Emergencias con Materiales Peligrosos [CEEMP])
  • Chile (Suatrans)
  • 3 sites Australia (ERGT)

TEEX officials are also in discussions with Strategic Fire Solutions to open potential CLCs in Germany and India in early 2015, as well as to expand training sites for Suatrans in Peru and Brazil, FSUSA in Ecuador and Colombia, and potentially five additional sites for ERGT in Australia.