In an ongoing effort to voluntarily provide fire protection to Texas County residents, personnel from several county fire departments gathered for an intense and comprehensive training exercise last Saturday in the GAMO USA parking lot on South U.S. 63.
The session was hosted by the City of Houston Fire Department and conducted by Local Emergency Training Specialists LLC (LETS), from Cadet, Mo. Similar training by LETS took place at the same location in 2012.
“This is extremely important,” said City of Houston FD Chief Joey Moore. “It allows people to be in fire conditions in a controlled environment, which sets them at ease but gives them the effects of the real thing.”
About 30 firefighters participated in the day’s activities, including personnel from Houston’s city and rural departments, Raymondville, Licking, South Callaway and Lexington. Disciplines included facing simulated fires involving flammable liquid, propane, wood or paper products (“class A”), containers, cars and structures.
The training was funded by the Missouri Division of Fire Safety Fire Education Commission, in conjunction with LETS and Three Rivers College.
“They do this all around the state,” said LETS representative Kraig Bone. “We appreciate them funding this, because this is a great opportunity, and it’s the only way these small departments can get this type of training.”
“This lets these young and inexperienced people do this in a safe, controlled environment,” said Houston Rural Chief Don Gaston. “It’s good that the state puts money back to make this possible.”
Close to 20 participants were there to fulfill Firefighter 1 and 2 certification obligations.
“This is one of the last steps in their certification,” Raymondville FD Chief Mike Jackson said. “They’ve done all their class work, and this is crunch time.”
The City of Houston Fire Department has been hosting weekly Firefighter 1 and 2 classes since late last year that will conclude this month. Moore said several students attended a regional fire school training session the previous Saturday in Willow Springs.
“Our motto is ‘don’t train until you get it right, but train until you can’t get it wrong,’ ” Moore said. “When your life is on the line, you sometimes don’t have time to think. You have to know what you’re doing.”
“Firefighting is a different world than when I started,” Gaston said. “Back then you put a hankie over your mouth and went in.”
When your life is on the line, you sometimes don’t have time to think. You have to know what you’re doing.”
To see a gallery of photos from the LETS firefighter training session last Saturday in the GAMO USA parking lot in Houston, click here:
http://houstonherald.smugmug.com/LETS-firefighter-training/