Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) - Emergency Services Training Institute - Experts & Thought Leaders

Texas A&M Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) received a perfect score of 100 on its 2023 Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Task Force Administration Readiness Evaluation (ARE) that was recently completed. This marks the first time that any of FEMA’s 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams has earned a perfect score since the agency began the task force evaluations in 2010. The ARE is an evaluation that examines each team’s compliance in three areas: 1) Operational Readiness, which reviews personnel qualifications and the training regimen for the team; 2) Logistics Readiness, which ensures that each team has the required facilities, transportation, equipment and materials for deployment; and 3) Management Readiness, which verifies that the team is fulfilling the requirements of the FEMA US&R System Cooperative Agreement performance requirements in relation to staffing, reporting, financial processes, policies and procedures. US&R task force members TX-TF1’s in-person evaluation took place December 5-6, 2023, at its facilities in College Station All 28 teams submit a self-assessment annually, and every three years an assessment team consisting of FEMA staff and peer US&R task force members from other states conduct an in-person evaluation of each team over two days to ensure the self-assessments are accurate. TX-TF1’s in-person evaluation took place December 5-6, 2023, at its facilities in College Station. “All of our universities and agencies strive for straight A’s every day, but Texas A&M Task Force 1 outdid itself with its perfect score,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. “I have the utmost respect for the team members who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Texans from fires, floods and other natural and human-caused disasters.” FEMA US&R Response System "To say that I am very proud of the Texas A&M Task Force 1 team would be an understatement,” said TEEX Agency Director David Coatney. “The level of commitment, capability, training, logistics and preparation by the team members have all resulted in the highest level of readiness and achievement by our team. This is an impactful accomplishment that will benefit the communities that we serve." The level of commitment, capability, training, logistics and preparation by the team members“On behalf of the FEMA US&R Branch, I want to congratulate all of the hard-working and dedicated personnel on TX-TF1 who helped achieve this excellent rating,” said Dean Scott, acting chief of the US&R Branch of FEMA’s Operations Division. “We appreciate the outstanding collaboration that the TX-TF1 administration provided throughout the evaluation process, as well as all of the contributions and support that TX-TF1 and TEEX have provided over the years to the FEMA US&R Response System.” Author's quote In addition to the TX-TF1 administrative staff, the team includes about 228 first responders from 134 participating agencies and organizations across the state, all of whom reside within three hours of College Station. “Personnel from fire and rescue departments, emergency medical and health services, and other emergency agencies and specialty companies across Texas have provided the experts to be part of TX-TF1,” said Jeff Saunders, TX-TF1 director. “They have full-time positions in their own organizations but are dedicated to mobilizing with TX-TF1 on a moment’s notice. Without them, this achievement would not be possible.”

The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Annual Municipal Fire school has been happening for 92 years. Ninety-two years of training firefighters across the state on the largest live-burn fire props in the world. But why would students want to come to this facility in the heat of Texas in the middle of July? And why come not just to this one week but also to an Industrial Fire School that has taken place for 59 years? Fire service knowledge Donny Boggs, a 30-year veteran instructor at TEEX’s Brayton Fire Training Facility, says that once firefighting is in your blood, “you are thirsty for more knowledge to better serve your company or municipality. And TEEX has one-of-a-kind facilities; this place is known as the Disneyland of the Fire Service.” Boggs says that one of the advantages is that the fire school improves every year. “Even when TEEX gets it right, they are constantly thinking about how to make it better, to make it more realistic. So, every year when students return, they get a new experience and new challenge." And of course, to see a massive fire and the firefighters stepping up to fight those large blazes is always amazing to witness. What is really impressive is that there is not just one fire happening during this week but as many as six happening at once, over and over every day for several weeks. Opportunity to learn Gordon Lohmeyer, Director of TEEX’s Emergency Services Training Institute, the division that oversees the Brayton Fire Training Field, has been with the agency for over 17 years and has been coming to train on this field for 30 years. He started as a member of an Emergency Response team in the industry and worked his way up to an Industrial Fire Chief. He says, “I’ve seen 30 years of growth at this facility. When I was a guest instructor, that was something I looked forward to all year. It is a tremendous opportunity and something that I hold near and dear to my heart.” Comprehensive fire training The Annual schools are a chance for students to learn from leaders in the field with many years of experience “This year will be the 59th Annual Industrial and 92nd Annual Municipal Fire School held at the best and most comprehensive fire training facility in the world. These Annual schools are a chance for students to learn from leaders in the field with many years of experience.” “The knowledge transfers by high-level leaders to practitioners in the field; you’re not going to find a better learning opportunity. If we can absorb that knowledge and share that information as a responder community, we all win.” “These students may start coming to annual schools to learn the basics of firefighting, but they return year after year. In fact, after decades of experience, they become guest instructors at these annual schools.” Hands-on training So, what does this mean to the communities these students come from? Lohmeyer states, “All training is based on safety. It’s a holistic approach; keep the individual safe, keep the team safe, keep the community or job site safe – it’s all about preparedness.” “Hopefully, they will not need to use the skills acquired in training, but if they do, they have them, and they’ve practiced them here. The goal is to experience the hands-on training needed to gain the skills to protect critical infrastructure and save lives.”

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Emergency Services Training Institute, a Sustaining member of the National Volunteer Fire Council and provider in high-quality emergency response training and instruction, is offering free and low-cost online firefighting continuing education courses. With many firefighters looking for affordable online training opportunities during the pandemic, these courses are a great option to incorporate into department training. Emergency responders can take the course Building Materials, Structural Collapse, and Effects of Fire Suppression for free. This four-hour course covers how building materials have changed in modern times, and how those materials can affect fire ground operations. Professional credits from the training There are no prerequisites required, and the course offers four hours of continuing education and professional credits from the Texas Commission of Fire Protection and State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas. TEEX is also offering several courses for a low cost. These include: Firefighter Safety and Health. Fire Department Communications. Building Construction. Fire Dynamics. Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment. Ropes and Knots. Ground Ladders. Technical Rescue Support and Vehicle Extrication Operations. Personal Protective Equipment, Product Control, and Decontamination.