August 13, 2016 - Six members of the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department recently attended the 87th Annual Texas Municipal Fire/ Rescue Training School in College Station, Texas. Classes for the school are held on the campus of Texas A&M University and Brayton Fire Training Field, which is the largest Fire/ Rescue training facility in the world.
Firefighter Michael Bates made the trip for the first time, and took Firefighting Phase II. Firefighter II is a 36 hour course which includes classroom sessions as well as hands-on skills training, including live burns.
Firefighter Jesse Parent made his fourth consecutive school. This year, he took Rescue Practices III/ Vehicle Extrication, a 36 hour course which teaches advanced techniques in vehicle rescue.
1st Assistant Chief Jeremy Boyett and Secretary/ Treasurer Rusty Wilson both took NFPA Instructor I, which will allow them to teach training classes to fellow firefighters.
Assistant Fire Marshall Justin Boyett took Safety Officer I, which stresses the importance of scene safety to emergency personnel.
Training Officer Stephen Ewing has served as a guest instructor at the school for four consecutive years now. He teaches on Project 50, also known as the Structural Burn Complex, which uses live burns to teach interior structural firefighting techniques to students in Firefighting Phase II.
The JVFD remains committed to providing the best training available to its personnel, which allows them to serve the citizens of Northeastern Shelby County effectively. The training is made possible through a grant from the Texas Forest Service.
