Firefighting is among the most important services provided by municipalities. Every day, firefighters risk their own safety to protect civilians in towns, cities and counties across Texas.
The training that firefighters receive doesn’t come from thin air. It comes from hardworking taxpayers’ money put to good use in municipal entities’ public safety budgets. A perfect example of this is the Municipal Fire Training School, which recently held its 94th annual training conference.
What do firefighters learn at the conference?
Every year, Texas A&M hosts a Municipal Fire Training School. It is an important gathering for multiple reasons. First, it instructs Texas firefighters in essential skills to prevent and put out fires. It also allows fire departments and individual firefighters to get together and connect, building an important sense of community among fire service professionals.
Some of the skills that students attending the event learn include:
- Basic firefighting
- Emergency medical services
- Agricultural rescue
- Vehicle extraction
- Rope rescue
- Wildland firefighting
- Additional rescue services
This year, more than 1,000 people attended the training sessions. Some even attended from California and Florida to receive training not available at their local departments.
Municipalities: Crucial allies for firefighters
Even though municipal entities have seen a great deal of upheaval in recent months regarding elections, laws and ordinances, firefighting will always remain one of their most important and valued services. With temperatures in Texas soaring and the weather remaining dry, fire is a constant worry. Recently, Bosque County and Parker County experienced substantial wildfires and grass fires. As Texas cities approach the end of the fiscal year and discuss their budgets, providing adequate funding for fire departments will no doubt be an important topic of conversation.
