Panola Foundation Grant Provides Fire Safety Training

Students participate in fire safety training, under the supervision of the Carthage Fire Department and Fire and Safety Equipment personnel. Fire Marshall Randy Liedtke and Fire Fighter Workman were on hand to assist the students.

November 19, 2018 - Students in the Panola College School of Energy participated in fire safety training provided by the Carthage Fire Department and Fire and Safety Equipment on Monday, Nov. 12. The training was funded by a grant from the Panola College Foundation.

“We wrote this grant proposal because we recognized the importance of fire safety awareness for our technical students whose careers will expose them to flammable liquids like motor oil and gasoline,” said Michael Pace, School of Energy instructor. “Knowing what to do in the case of a fire can mean the difference between life and death.”

The training introduced students in Panola College’s ENER 1375, Introduction to Mechanical Engines class to the safety procedures required in the event of a fire emergency.

“Every School of Energy student will go on to work in a technical environment that requires fire training,” Pace added. “By introducing them to some real life scenarios while still in school, they will be better equipped to succeed in the workforce and add this training to their resumes.”

The Carthage Fire Department met with the students in the College Petroleum Lab, then the group moved outside to practice using fire extinguishers to put out a real fire under the supervision of trained fire fighters.

“We requested this Foundation grant because we realized that company safety policies are becoming more detailed each year,” Pace said. “This training provided our students the skills to better handle an emergency situation, and will be able to show future employers that they already have practical fire safety training.”

The grant covered the cost of the training system used by Fire and Safety Equipment. The company offered the system at a discounted rate to assist the students.

Pace said student response was excellent and the hands-on training enhanced the classroom instruction. “Our industry contacts have continued to support the College’s efforts to provide up-to-the-minute training to prepare our students for their careers in technical fields,” he said.

Students who completed the fire safety training included Clinton Bray, Marshall; Charles Felix, Nigeria; Bradford Fisher, Liberty; Evan Green, Lufkin; Blake Griffin, Center; Kase Hooper, Center; Tomas Martinez, Waskom; Michael McCammond, Pelican, La.; Edward Oden, DeBerry; Braden Russell, Carthage; Nick Sewell, Dallas, Chad Storer, Henderson, and Daylon Swearingen, Piffard, N.Y.