2008 Municipal School - Public Demo Video and Pictures

Municipal School Instructor Memorial

Each year at the TEEX's Annual Industrial and Municipal Fire Training Schools, students, instructors and families pause to remember long-time volunteer instructors who have passed during the previous year.

Check out the video and pictures ...

Wednesday Morning Pictures

Pictures taken from around the fire field Wednesday morning ...

More Tuesday Pictures

Have a look at some of the pictures taken Tuesday on the Marine Ship Deck Prop.

Fire School Offers Diverse Training

Firefighters from around the state have the opportunity to participate in many different courses at TEEX’s Annual Municipal School. Courses range from the obvious firefighting classes to those focusing on specialized rescue techniques.

One course taught during municipal week focuses on agricultural rescue. Students learn to rescue victims from grain silos, those who are trapped beneath tractors or even trapped within other farm implements.

Vehicle extraction is another course taught during municipal week. Firefighters learn to use hacksaws and other tools to remove victims from wrecked vehicles, and then graduate to using the hydraulic equipment, commonly known as the “jaws of life.”

Other classes offered include: fire science, forcible entry, pump operations, trench rescue, public safety dispatcher, public information officer, emergency care attendant and many more.

See the video below to see how firefighters attack a vehicle fire.



More vehicle extraction and ag rescue photos:

Monday at Municipal School

The 79th Annual Municipal Fire Training School got off to a steamy start Monday at Brayton Fire Training Field. Temperatures easily reached the upper 90s and hydration is of the utmost importance.

As of 4:00 p.m. Monday, the exact number of students enrolled in the school is an astonishing 2,048. An estimated 600-plus guest instructors, safety officials and medical staff are on hand to support the massive effort.

The Firefighter Migration to College Station

Sunday, thousands of firefighters converged on College Station, Texas, to register for the 79th Annual Municipal Fire Training School.

Though most of the action this week will be held at the world-renowned Brayton Fire Training Field, the focus Sunday was at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena for registration and the trade show.

As of noon, there were over 2,000 firefighters registered for the week-long school. Well over 150 vendors lined the concourse, filled the floor and lined up in parking lots of Reed Arena displaying the latest and greatest in firefighting and rescue equipment.

Thursday Night Burn ... WOW!

Thursday night at the Industrial Fire School provided the most riveting images and breath-taking video taken so far during TEEX's Annual Fire Training Schools.

If you like what you see, come out to Brayton Fire Field Wednesday, July 23, for a similar experience. The demonstration during next week's Municipal School is open to the public with gates opening at 7:00 p.m. A children's fire awareness class - featuring clowns - will begin at 7:30 p.m. Immediately following, live fire prop demonstrations will be burned on the field.

A quiet morning …

The fire field was quiet Thursday morning at the Annual Industrial School. Since 7 a.m., students have been taking written tests to achieve their Pro Board Certifications. The Pro Board accredits fire service training agencies that use the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA's) professional qualification standards.

TEEX is accredited by the NFPA to issue certifications and the credentials are recognized world-wide. In fact, TEEX is qualified to issue over 35 different Pro Board certifications.

This week, some of the students are taking one of the following certification courses:

• Instructor Level I
• Instructor Level II
• Industrial Firefighting – Exterior
• Industrial Firefighting – Interior
• Industrial Firefighting – Leadership
• Hazmat Technician
• Hazmat Transport Container Specialist
• Rope Rescue Awareness/Operations
• Rope Rescue Technician
• Confined Space Rescue Technician

Wednesday Images

Click on the images below to see larger images of pictures from Wednesday at Industrial Fire School. Enjoy!!

Industrial School Instructor Memorial

Each Wednesday during TEEX's Annual Fire Schools, students and instructors pause to remeber annual school instructors who have passed away during the previous year.

This year, 16 instructor names were placed on the granite wall at Brayton Fire Training Field: William Zolczer, M.H. "Cotton" Harrell, Donnie Teague, Clayton Neal, James Pogue, Jesse Lozano, Paul Israel, Hurshall Dickinson, W.B. "Ben" Vollbaum, William "Bill" Radle, Jr., Jackie Walton, Susan Parks Reese, W.J. Childers, Jerry Craft, Thomas Powers and Jimmy Garland.

Tuesday at Industrial School

Photos: Dispersed throughout this post you will find photos taken Tuesday at Industrial Fire School.

CIMA: A large contingent of firefighters and instructors associated with the Channel Industries Mutual Aid, or CIMA, organization are completing various training exercises and courses this week at the Industrial School.

Formed in 1955, CIMA is comprised of 92 industrial members and 14 municipalities, who all respond to major incidents that happen in the Houston Ship Channel. The week-long school gives them a chance to all work together as a unit.

“We have different folks from different companies and we are all learning the same techniques, styles and systems,” said CIMA Vice-Chairman Stephen Greco. “By the end of the week we all gel like we have been together for years as a whole unit. That’s the beauty of this school.”

Since OSHA safety regulations have drastically decreased industrial plant accidents, hands-on experience is at a premium.

“We don’t have the major explosions like we did in the 80s and early 90s,” Greco added. “So the opportunities for real-life situations are not as common. With that said we have to keep our firefighters competence and intelligence level high, so we have to rely on good, realistic training to keep that level of competence up.”

In addition, the folks with the field experience from the past two decades will soon be replaced by the next generation of firefighters.

“Within a few years, a lot of folks with experience from the 80s will be retiring,” Greco said. “That’s another reason we have to maintain an advanced level of training and competence. We can get that realistic training here at TEEX.

Prop 31, The Process Unit: Today, the Process Unit burned for the first time for students. See yesterday’s post to learn more about the new prop and check out the short video clip below of the Process Unit in action.

First burn of the Process Unit delayed

Today, Brayton Fire Training Field’s new prop – Prop No. 31/Process Unit – was planned to be used for training for the first time. It’s the largest live prop on the largest live-fueled fire training facility in the world.

At approximately 3:50 p.m. – literally seconds after the prop was lit – the lightning prediction system sounded at the fire field. The prop was shut down and everyone had to clear the field.

Safety is always the top priority at Brayton and the lightning prediction system is an automatic signal to clear the field.

“There were a lot of people who were here to see the new prop burn,” said Ron Peddy, lead safety official. “But, safety is our most important concern and we can always burn the new prop tomorrow.”

Last Tuesday, more than 700 Spanish firefighters were forced to clear the fire field because of lightning.

At its highest point, the Process Unit stands an amazing 66-feet tall and is a multi-level prop encompassing 21,608 square feet.

The project contains 18 dual-fuel leak points, although not all are lit at once. It can simulate various scenarios such as a process sump fire, truck-loading area fire and various other process unit-related emergency situations.

The first test burn on the new prop, which involved fire field instructors only, was held on June 16.

Check back tomorrow to see video of the new prop burning.

Day 1: Industrial School

The preliminary numbers indicate an increase of over 100 students from last year’s Industrial week. As of Monday morning, 582 firefighters representing 23 states and 10 countries are at Brayton Fire Training Field learning and practicing various firefighting techniques.

Countries represented: Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and United States.

Here are some pictures of early Monday action at the 46th Annual Industrial Fire School.

Industrial Week Begins

The following instructors were honored Sunday prior to the beginning of the 46th Annual Industrial School …

Smith Award: Each year, the Smith Award is presented to an instructor, who exemplifies outstanding qualities and characteristics. The award is named after Chief Henry D. Smith, who served the Texas Engineering Extension Service and started the Industrial Fire School concept 46 years ago. This year’s recipient is Dan Rand of RVW Consulting in Lincoln, Neb. Dan has been an instructor at Industrial School for 15 years.

Lauderback Award: The Lauderback Award is presented to a company representative who is instrumental in providing equipment to the school. This year’s recipient is Paul Neely the Sales Manager for Task Force Tips in Valparaiso, Ind. Paul has been an instructor at Industrial School for nine years.

Service Awards:
5 Years: Brett Barnett, Wallace Fleming III, Joseph Foster, Jay Gantenbein, Stephen Greco, Rodney Kovlacik, Lucas Justin, Howard Meek, Patrick Peavler, Shane Stuntz, Sam Summers, Melvin Templeton, Kelli Vettel, Derek Wester.

10 Years: William Burket, Rex Johnson, Harold Naquin, Jr., Gary Thomas.

15 Years: Daniel Garcia, Jim Gillespie, Reggie Nalley, Dan Rand, Suzy Sterwart, Randel Tanner.

20+ Years: William Green (20), J.R. Nerat (20), William Norris (20), Dennis St. John (21), James Williams (21), Terry Boyett (22), Rick Deel (22), David Garrison (22), Jim Minton (22), John Vieweger (22), Gene Gray (23), C.J. Sebastian (23), Joe Willey (23), James Devonshire (24), Dale Pirc (24), Patricia Thomas (25), A.C. Anderson (26), Carl W. Anderson (27), Woody Cole (27), Maxey Riggs, Jr. (27), Edward Rivier (27), Les Townsend (27), Bill Adams (28), Joseph Busher (28), David Dewey (28), John Kilpatrick (29), Lee Ray Kaderli (30), J.D. Fontenot Wise (34), Harlen Nelson (35), O.C. Schattel (36), John Q. Adams, Sr. (43), Robert Wood (44), Henry Smith (59).

Video and Images from Thursday

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Enjoy the video and images of Thursday's action at the TEEX Spanish Fire School.

Bomberas: Female Firefighters

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Of the 700 Spanish-speaking firefighters in attendance at the 42nd Annual Spanish Fire School this week, 53 of them are women. Fire school officials believe it is the most “bomberas” or women firefighters to ever attend the annual school.

Natalia: A 23-year-old volunteer firefighter from Bolivar, Venezuela, Natalia Contreras is completing her first ever week at Brayton Fire Training Field.

She has been a firefighter since she was 19-years-old, when he parents finally gave her consent to do so.

“It was hard for my family,” Natalia said. “They thought that, since I am a woman, I should be doing something more feminine, and they didn’t like the work a firefighter has to do. Also, I’m the youngest in my family. But now they’re proud of me, and I even have a little cousin who plans to follow in my footsteps and join the juvenile fire brigade. I’ve even been featured on the cover of some magazines and been interviewed, so I’m a little famous in my home town.”

Even as a young child, Natalia was destined to become a firefighter. She talked of how her mother always told her that she had very humanitarian instincts and always wanted to help people.

“I live in a place where there were many accidents, and I used to go out and help,” Natalia exclaimed. “That led me to want to get the kind of training I’d need to do the job well.”

Her service does not stop there. To make a living, Natalia is a professor at her local university, where she teaches a course about disaster management.

Carmen: While Natalia is a first-generation firefighter, 27-year-old Carmen Alonso has a family history of the profession. Her father came to the TEEX Fire School as an instructor for many years, and she grew up hearing him talk about Brayton Fire Field since 1981 when she was one-year-old.

“I learned from my father to be concerned for the safety of people and property, and I’ve pretty much been doing what he does,” Carmen said. “We have a school where we teach the disciplines needed for those who work in the prevention of accidents, fire fighting, and all types of safety and security careers.”

Carmen added, “We come to TEEX because of the projects they have here, which we don’t have in our country. We have training fields, but nothing on this scale.”

When asked how it has been being surrounded by many men all week, Carmen responded: “No problem! We’ve had no trouble at all. There’s a lot of respect for the women, the guys help us a lot, and we’ve felt very comfortable around them. We feel we’ve been able to show that we can carry our share of the load and do the hard work, and that we can be as quick and sharp in a crisis as anyone else.”

The Little Bomberos

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They have only been around each other one week a year for the last three years, but when you watch them terrorize the grounds of the Brayton Fire Training Field, it appears as if they have known each other forever.

Oscar Alanis (left), from Rio Grande City, Texas, has been coming to TEEX’s Annual Spanish Fire Training School for the last five years. The thing is, he’s a 13-year-old junior high student. Oscar comes with his dad, Oscar, a six-year veteran instructor of TEEX’s annual school.

Three years ago before making the annual trip to College Station, Oscar’s dad asked him if he wanted company at the fire school. Oscar responded, “Sure. Then maybe I won’t be so bored.”

The elder Alanis called another fire school instructor, Arturo Leyva, to see if he wanted to bring his son, Allen, in hopes of giving Oscar some company.

A friendship was born. Three years later, Oscar and Allen are now two of the most well known people at the field during Spanish week. All the instructors and veteran students know the duo. The new firefighters know them by the time the week is over.

Their favorite thing to do is watch the props burn while the bomberos fight the fires. They point and talk about what is going on during exercises - dissecting the events unfolding in front of them.

In case you are wondering, they do both want to be firefighters. “I’ve already read the firefighter manual and I want to work in a big city like Houston,” Oscar boasted. Allen quickly responded, “I just want to stay in Mexico.”

Ah well, maybe they too can become instructors during Spanish school and continue to see each other once a year.

NOTE: Additional pictures from today are in the post below.

Day Three Photos

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Check out the photos from Wednesday morning. As always, click on the photo to view a larger version.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

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It was a stormy end to Day-2 of Spanish Fire School. The threat of lightning during the late afternoon sounded the alarm that sent hundreds of firefighters into various shelters located on Brayton Fire Training Field. And while the light rainfall was an annoyance to the bomberos, it was joyously received by the community, which hasn’t experienced significant rainfall in many weeks.

Before the rain, though, a variety of training props were utilized Tuesday, including the Tank & Dike, the Structural Burn Facility and the Pipe Rack, which are among the more than 130 training stations at Brayton Fire Training Field.

Record number of women
Interestingly, out of the 700 Spanish-speaking firefighters attending this year’s annual school, approximately 50 are women. Fire school officials believe it’s the largest group of women to ever attend Spanish Fire School.

Journalists experience Brayton
Joining the bomberos today were journalists from the Bryan-College Station Eagle and La Prensa of San Antonio, who got a brief glimpse at what it’s like to be part of a trained, coordinated team that battles huge fires.

Tomorrow - Day 3: Memorial ceremonyDay-3 will include the traditional noon ceremony at the Guest Instructors’ Memorial Wall, which honors the late guest instructors who have taught during the Spanish, Industrial and Municipal Fire Schools throughout the years.

Instructors’ names are engraved in the granite wall, giving lasting memory to those who dedicated at least 10 years to training firefighters at Brayton each summer. Over the years, many of these instructors used vacation time and paid their own expenses to train their emergency response counterparts.

Note: You can click on the images to see a larger version.

They have come from all over!

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As of Monday afternoon, 699 firefighters from the following countries have registered for the annual Spanish school:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, USA, Venezuela and, for the second consecutive year, the Republic of Guinea (West Africa).

Check out the video below to see some of today’s activities …

They're here ...

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Today, hundreds Spanish-speaking firefighters, or bomberos, converged on Brayton Fire Training Field for the annual week-long Spanish Fire Training School. It’s the first of three weekly schools conducted by TEEX.

At this time, mostly classroom-type instruction is going on – all in Spanish by the way. More fire props are expected to start burning later today.

Check out some of the images from earlier today …

Welcome!

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Thousands of firefighters from around the globe will travel to College Station to participate in the nation’s premier fire training schools at the world’s largest, live-fire fueled training facility: Brayton Fire Training Field.

Through this blog, you can follow the action, stories, images and video of this year's spectacle.

Hosted by the Texas Engineering Extension Service, or TEEX, the schools include:

July 7-11: 42nd Annual Spanish Fire Training School
The Spanish Fire Training School annually hosts nearly 600 Spanish-speaking firefighters who learn skills ranging from basic firefighting operations to officer development. These firefighters will learn from the experience and knowledge of approximately 200 volunteer instructors who teach only in Spanish. This year, student firefighters will travel from Central and South America, Europe and even Africa.

July 14-18: 46th Annual Industrial Fire Training School
The Industrial Fire Training School begins the following week, when more than 500 firefighters and safety personnel will receive training on the latest industrial firefighting, rescue and hazardous materials control techniques.

July 21-25: 79th Annual Municipal Fire Training School
The last of the three annual firefighter training schools, the Municipal Fire Training School, will include more than 2,500 firefighters and 500 guest instructors from throughout Texas and the nation. This is the largest school of its kind in the world, attracting firefighters from the state’s smallest volunteer fire departments to those serving the largest metropolitan areas.

Instructors: All of the hands-on training is provided by guest instructors who donate their time, services and travel expenses to ensure that firefighters, emergency medical, and response personnel are adequately prepared to respond to a wide range of emergency situations. It’s not uncommon for guest instructors to have taught at the Municipal School for more than 40 years.

History of the Fire School: The first Municipal School was held in 1930 as part of the Texas A&M University chemistry department and attracted 196 firefighters representing 76 cities and towns. The following year the Texas Legislature authorized Texas A&M to create and operate a permanent firefighter training school in College Station. Shortly thereafter, TEEX was formally established, and the agency is now recognized as the world’s premier emergency services training institute. Each year, TEEX trains more than 80,000 firefighters and emergency responders from throughout Texas, all 50 states and more than 40 countries.