Spring Break
Volunteer firefighters learn the ropes at A&M
By: Kyle Ross
Issue date: 3/4/04 Section: News
Casey Flinn, from the Texas Forest Service, said financial obstacles stood in the way of volunteers until 2001, when the Texas Forest Service formed a partnership with TEEX that would provide tuition grants to people like Williams and Rerich.
"Volunteers were a bit frowned upon in the past (by the paid municipal firefighters) because of their lack of training," Flinn said. "But now with these grants they're all being trained together. We're getting more of an equality among the fighters."
This spring, through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, 130 firefighters were given full tuition grants. Last summer 500 trainees were given paid tuitions, and the number of grants is estimated to rise for the upcoming summer sessions.
In addition to training, the Texas Forest Service has also supplied almost $25 million worth of equipment to volunteer fire departments, Flinn said.
"The most important thing is making sure that the volunteers are trained to use the equipment," Flinn said. "We can supply all the equipment in the world, but if they don't know how to use it then it's worthless."
The trainees take part in various demonstrations on the correct ways of handling gear such as hoses, nozzles and air packs. They learn different pump operations, how to climb an assortment of ladders and are even given lectures on the chemical makeup of fire itself, said Jason Cook, communications director for TEEX.
"Tomorrow my group is going to be doing some hands-on work with putting out fires," Williams said. "That's the fun stuff."
"Volunteers were a bit frowned upon in the past (by the paid municipal firefighters) because of their lack of training," Flinn said. "But now with these grants they're all being trained together. We're getting more of an equality among the fighters."
This spring, through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, 130 firefighters were given full tuition grants. Last summer 500 trainees were given paid tuitions, and the number of grants is estimated to rise for the upcoming summer sessions.
In addition to training, the Texas Forest Service has also supplied almost $25 million worth of equipment to volunteer fire departments, Flinn said.
"The most important thing is making sure that the volunteers are trained to use the equipment," Flinn said. "We can supply all the equipment in the world, but if they don't know how to use it then it's worthless."
The trainees take part in various demonstrations on the correct ways of handling gear such as hoses, nozzles and air packs. They learn different pump operations, how to climb an assortment of ladders and are even given lectures on the chemical makeup of fire itself, said Jason Cook, communications director for TEEX.
"Tomorrow my group is going to be doing some hands-on work with putting out fires," Williams said. "That's the fun stuff."
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