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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFiremen'sTrainingHistory 110503 ~ .)., ... \ t I \ \ \ TEXAS FI REMEN 's TRAINING SCHOOL History (1 In 1929 the Fifth District, now known as the Lower Rio Grande Valley District of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, petitioned the State Association to establish a statewide training program primarily for volunteer fire departments. -The State Association accepted this proposal and contacted officials at the University òf Texas and Texás A&M College to discuss the proposal of such- a- training program. Because of the very warm reception by Texas A&M College Officials, Dr. T. O. Walton and Dr. F. C. Hedges, the Association agreed to establish the training school at A&M, and assigned the function to the Chemistry Department under Dr. C. C. Hedges. ,Dr. Hedges assigned Professor Harold R. Brayton, Freshman Chemistry faculty member, to be the School's Director and instructed him to proceed toward planning and conducting an annual fire school program the following May, 1930. This first school was a combined effort of the State Association, the College, and the City of Bryan Fire Department. It consisted of two days of instruction and drill ground practices, and was followed by the semi-annual convention of the East Texas Firemen's District. This first school was attended by 196 fire fighters representing 76 cities and to\vns. The staff of instructors included personnel from the Department of Chemistry of the College, Fire Chiefs from several of the larger cities of the state, and the Chief and members of the Bryan Fire Department. Following this first venture in training, members of the State Association and other interested members of the fire service then initiated legislative support for official authorization of a fire training schooL During the 1931 regular session of the Texas Legislature, a bill was introduced (House Bill No. 921) which authorized, and directed çhe Board of Directors of A&M College tc create and operate a firemen's, training school as a part of s~id college, providing for the ~reation of a Board to àdvise in the conducting of the school, and making appropriations ~or the òperation of the schooi. They further authorized' the establishment of the "Firemen's Training School Advisory Board" to be composed . / of three members of the teaching staff of the college, to be appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and four members or rep ~ati~es from " the State Firemen IS and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, to be apyointed by the President of the Association. The bill also putlined the duties and responsibilities of thé Advisory Board. This bill was passed in toe HQuse and Senate and became effective May 26, 1931. , . ~ '. Upon passage of the legislation creating the Firemen Training Sohool,- an Advisory Board was ,appointed. Individuals ~ncluded: College Members Association Members Dr. 1. O. Walton - 1930-43* Dr. Frank C. Bolton - 1930-61* Olin Culberson - 1932-39 W. P. Walker - 1932-42 Johnny McKinney - 1932-33 Dr. C. C. Hedges - 1930-47* Dr. Gibb Gilchrist - 1944-47 Dean H. W. Barlow - 1948-54 Frank Hamner - 1932-33 Harry Kerr - 1934-36 Chester Cherry - 1934-36 Charles R. Ramsey - 1937-52 Johnny O'Brien - 1937-52 B. J. Korman - 1940-43 E. L. Williams - 1948-53 H. D. Bearden - 1954-73 Dr. John C. Calhoun, Jr. - 1956-Present Dean Fred J. Benson - 1961-Present James R. Bradley - 1974-Present Chester Creuzbar - 1941-52 G. F. Dohrn - 1943- 70 Irwin W. Speckels - 1944-55 & 1961- 71 Royce C. Hogg - 1954-60 Paul B. Conley - 1955-62 D. C. Musick - 1953-68 Vernon B. Rucker - 1963- 71 ~1ason L,ankford - 1969-Present W. E. Zorn - 1971-Present W. Hershe¡ Sharp - 1971-Present David Clàbaugh - 1972-Present *Represented Texas A&M Còllege as Administrative Officials during 1930-1931; and subsequently appointed to the Advisory Board in 1932 in accordance with legislative direction. . . '. . An annual one-week Firemen's Training School was conducted by the Chemistry Department under the supervision of Professor H. R. Brayton from "'- 1930 to ,l947. In addition, Çhie~ Frank W' was employed to conduct extension classes which consisted of3. one-day meetings for area departments through:>.ut the State. On September 1. 1947. a proposal was offered by the Advisory Board to consolidate ~h~ tra~~ing actiVities with one being conducted by the Industrial Extension .Servi'~e, :01::. m~Jitary installat,ions during Wor:ld War II. At this time, t,he two programs "were merged. The staff was increased with Chiefs Otis Muenster, James R. :Dobson and Paul R. Williams added by the merger. Chief Frank Williams left to become the State Firemen's Pension Commissioner and L. O. Bynum. was his replacement. Later in 1947, A. L. Cartwright was added to the staff. In 1949. Paul R. Williams Cartwright resigned January, 1950. January. 1950. A new position was authorized and Joe D. Smith in and were replaced by E. W. Parker in November, 1949. yas employed in Professor Brayton served as the head of the fire school from its inception until World War II, when he was recalled into the Chemical Warfare Department. During this interim, Dr. C. C. Hedges assumed responsibilities for the school as Director. Following the war, Colonel H. R. Brayton returned to A&M College when the two programs were merged, took leave from his teaching duties and was appointed as the Director of the school. He served in this capacity until October 1, 1955, when he was granted leave of absence to serve with the Executive Department of the State of Texas, Division of Defense and Disaster Relief. On this date, Henry D. Smith was appointed Acting Chief of the Firemen's Training School, and following the death of Colonel H. R. Brayton in January. 1957, he was appointed Chief of the program and has served in this capacity to the present time. This must be an outstanding example of dedication and devotion, and a tribute to an outstanding program, that in nearly 43 years of service, only . two individuals have served as head .of the school, Colonel H. R. Brayton and the present Chief, Henry D. Smith. ~ . .. "- þ This program presently known as the Texas Firemen's Training School is conducted by the Texas Engineering Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System. . -, The annual school has progressed through the years from the 196 students in 1930, representing 76 cities and towns, to the Forty-Fifth Annual Firemen's Training School conducted in 1974, for a three week' perio.d, involving 4,170 individuals representin& 1.009 cities and towns from 44 states :.. , of the United States and 30 foreign countries. The following ehart depicts the growth of the training school from its inception to the present: Towns Total Year Represen ted At tendance 1930 76 196 1935 203 487 1940 272 566 1945 279 485 O.Jorld {.Jar 11) 1950 314 558 1955 435 1235 1960 442 1622 1965 527 2041 1970 737 2993 1971 914 3121 1974 1009 4170 In 1954. it was evident that there was a need for training in the areas of Industrial Fire Protection. A class was added to the annual school specializ- ing in this field. Most of the program consisted of lectures presented by leaders recognized in their particular area of fire control. Classes were recessed for one day to permit the members of the industrial class to "visit" t;he fire field and observe the muni~ip~l fire fighters in action. Ten years later. in ~963, this class had grown to the extent that the school was expanded to include a second week. the Industrial Fire Protection Course. In 1963, the Industrial - Course had a total attendance of 104 registered students, 'and eleven years later in 1974, a full week of field evolutions and conference sessions had been planned for 1229 registered students with a total attendance of 1557. : . The year 1967, marked another expansion in the Texas Fire School program. as the need for instruction in the Spanish language became evident. The first venture in this phase of training was most successful and encouraging. The Spanish speaking program was continued and in 1971, there was a total -attendance of 208 students from 66 cities and towns from spanish speaking count ries . The growth and advancement of the Texas Firemen's Training School has not been without trials, tribulations and many disappointments. Had it not have been for the tremendous support and assistance of equipment manufacturers, distributors, sales representatives and industry, the growth would not have been possible. Several years ago, two of the staff instructors started to attempt'to figure the cost of the equipment loaned and donated to the school, and when they reached $520,000, they stopped. This amount does not include the salaries of the hundreds of representatives of these organizations who also donate their time and travel. Words cannot describe the great credit that is due municipalities, industry, equipment representatives and the armed services for their contributions to the fantastic growth of the school. And, as will be noted later in a brief description of the expansion program, even greater ventures await the fire service, from this school, in the future. The physical facilities necessary to operate a training program of this magnitude must also gradually advance. The transition from the original training school conducted more or less lion the street" by the Bryan Fire Department, to a 26 acre planned facility, with permanent structures and modern water systems and fuel systems was not easy. The first permanent site was a 15 acre plot adjacent to the married students housing area on the north side of the campus . found. The staff of the fire school "acquired" mat,erials wherever they could be The fuel was donated and the donating company hauled it to the field and it w:as pumped from the truck to thi;:! project. In fact, a week of training. could be conducted from a medium size tank truck of fuel. The present field has a fuel storage capacity of L20,000 gallons, and is_pump~d through pipe lines to the various projects. In the early days of the program when word leaked out that a building was to be torn down on the campus, "procurement officers" from the fire school staff would immediately contact proper college officials until authorization was obtained that the structure could be transferred to the trainin~ school. Some of the staff members would then don their work clothes and start the demolition process; then, reconstruction on the fire field. In the middle 1950's,- the school obtained through surplus., an òld GI five ton tractor and an oil field £loàt (trailer) and more improvements were made on the fire field as they'were able to locate pipe, metal structures, etc., which they hauled to the field. Most of this equipment was obtained through a strong A&M Former Students Association, which is interested in the promotion of the University's activities. A tank truck Was donated by one of the oil companies which enabled the staff to haul in fuel themselves to supply the rapidly expanding field evolutions. Again, contacts were made over the state for waste fuel, contaminated fuel or anything liquid that would burn and could be transported to the fire field. In the middle 1950's during the rapid expansion of the field activities, it was a standard joke among the staff members that in addition to qualifications as an instructor, and fire service experience, a potential instructor also must possess a valid commercial drivers license that he could take his turn hauling. Many times the engine of that old truck would barely cool off until another instructor was in the cab and off for another load. In 1960, the expansion of the University (The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas now known as Texas A&M University) required more land for expanding the married students housing adjacent to the fire field, therefore, potential locations for a new fire training field. together with University officials, the fire school staff started exploring inspecting possible locations, and taking ~nto consideration water supply, accessibility, and area fot future expanpion, the present site near the' University Following several months of air terminal was selected and the land transferre-d to the Firemen's Training 'School. . The first year at the ne~ location was rather icult. Gravel and dirt roads, a narrow roadway over an earthen damãnd ~ain at inopportune 'times, made moving to the new location rather distressing. Pinally in 1961,.with dirt streets and very few permanent structures, the firs~ school on the new field was conducted. Water supply became very critical; sinc~the water storage reservoir, now in use, had not been constructed and water for the l!re pr~jects was supplied from a water 'main with hydrants which looped the fire field, but, which also was fed from the main that supplied a Swimming Pool type Nuclear Reactor located about á quart.er of a mile down the road from the fire field. It was Soon discovered that if too many projects were fired at the same time, the water was pulled from the reactor, and water being critical to the type reactor, adjustments were necessary. A staggered system of firing the projects was devised. Then the next problem reared its ugly head. In training fire fighters, you will occasionally encounter some individuals who will close a nozzle too fast, thereby creating "water hammer" in the water mains. It Was soon learned that due to the nearness of the fire field to the reactor, closing nozzles too rapidly was causing water hammer and breaking out connections in plastic piping in the reactor. Several years later and through the efforts of many University and State officials, the fire field was developed into one of the finest practical training areas available. Engineered black top streets and roads, a one and three quarter million gallon water reservoir, concrete block structures for fires, a permanent fire extinguisher laboratory, sprinkler system facility, pump maintenance laboratory multiple story industrial evolutions and projects and a complete disaster rescue training set are only the beginning of this training area. Through the efforts of Chief Henry D. Smith, the Firemen's Training School . . Advisory Board and the officers' and members of the State Firemen's and Fire' Narshals' Association of Texas, an appropriation of nearly one and one half million dollars, for a three year period, has t>:e,eñ designated for expansion of. the training field and new,fac~lities. This, coupledwith",other sources of revenue, will involve nearly two million dollars for expansion of training facilities and equipment. .' Included in the expansion program, which will terminate in the fiscal year 1974-75, are three 1,000 gpm "- Booster Trucks (o~e Z~wheel drive Truck; and one lOOt 2-1/ '1:" - 3" two 500 gallons 4-wheel drive); one Salvage-Rescue ; one 65' Aerial Platform Truck; 1-1/2" firefighting t09~s pe rsonnel. teaching aids for the.fire field; protective clothing and equipment for ;. At the present time, the proposed training aid facilities (structures) for the field include Fire Appa Test facility; Pump Oper:ation Trainin~ facility; Fire Pump and Visual Aid facility; 5 level Hose and Ladder Training facility; Fixed Control facility; High Voltage Electrical Test and Demonstration facility (69,000 volts); Run-Down Pètroleum . Tank training facility; Wheeled Chemical Test and Training facility; Extra Hazardous Chemical Training facility; Hose Evolution Training facility; Equipment Storage-Maintenance facility; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Equipment Visual Aids facility; Petroleum-Chemical Training facility; Foam facility (3 level); Spill Fire Test and and Training facility (l17 ft.); Fire Breathing Apparatus Visual Department Communications Aid facility; Salvage-Overhaul facility; Fire Flame and Heat Training facility (3 level); Floating Roof Tank Training facility; and a Retail-Warehouse Fire Training facility. Also included will be the extension of the Fire Water Distribution System and the extension of the Fuel Distribution System. Supporting facilities included in the expansion program include; Water Reservoir Maintenance; Fire Water System; Domestic Water System; Fuel Storage System; Electrical Service System; Utility Shop; Communications System; Waste Oil Collection System and Real Estate Improvements. The training field in use at the present time consist of 26 acres and will be expanded in three directions, and completed will encompass approximately- 62 acres of improved training area. Most òf the area will be floodlighted for night use and telephone; radio and pùblic äddress systems will extend to each project in all areas of the field. center will be valued in excess of $3.6 million. By 1977, the firemen training .' A well-rounded program is in operation at the present time at the Texas Firemen's Training School. In addition to the annual fire schools conducted each summer, a year-round t training program is now in operation, completing 325 hours of t raining in thweeks. This training will satisfy the miñimum requi of the new Texas Law on certification as prescribed by the Commission on Fir~ Protection Personnel Standards and Education. Training classes are also conducted each wee~ through the year in Industrial Fire Control', Disaster Rescue Training and speçia,lized week-end classes for volunteers and smal tments. New programs are being planned for communications training, high-rise fire control; LNG schools; aerial and platform operators training, staff and command schools and other specialized conferences, seminars and schools as need indicates. Attachments: House Bill 921 Consolidated Information Sheet 1974 Statistical Summary 1974 Annual Report on . ... - ß47.J31.8M-L op PASPm :BY '.!.'B1iI A'.!.' '.!.'1itB . REGUL ON CO~1I'Ji!:D .I.'.!.' '.rEB CITY OF AUSTIN, JANUARY 13, 1931 .um ADJOURNED MAY 23, 1931 OF MRS. JANE Y. McCALLUM, Secretary of State ,. 382 GENERAL LAWS. adjournment. House by a viva voce vote; vote.] 1*; FIREMEN'S TRAINING SCHOOL AT A. & M. COLLEGE. H. B. No. 921.] CHAPTER 228. A .. III ,... -, .. FORTY ~SECOND LEGISLATURE-REGULAR 383 ~ 107 ;yeas; .) 4 DELINQUENT TAXES, OF COLLECTION. S. B. No.5.) CHAPTER 229. Be it enacted by the It is delinquent - ~". I A PROPOSED PLAN for the CO~SOLIDATION of the FIREMEN'S TRAINING PROGRAMS of THE AGRICULTURAL and- MECHANICAL COLLEGE of TEXAS UNDER THE AUSPICES of the TEXAS FIREMEN'S and FIRE HALS ASSOCIATION EFFECTIVE SE 1, 1947 It is proposed that the two firemen training College of Texas be put together as one flover-allu service in accordance with the following plans: conducted by the A. & M. ire prevention and training 1. TWO PRESENT PROGRAJ.1S A. B. 2. PROPOSED A. ,. .- Firemen's Training School 1. Conducted by the Department of Chemistry. 2. Holds an Annual one week school on the A. & M. College campus. 3. Employs one field instructor who holds one night meetings with fire departments on a planned itinerary. 4. Under direction of H. R. Brayton, Professor of Chemistry. 5. Under the guidance of an Advisory Committee of representative firemen and College officials. Extension Firemen Training 1. Conducted by the Industrial Extension Service. 2. ties in which firemen are trained nce of their own,equipment in Holds schools in local c in the proper use and mal handling local hazards. 3. Employs three fulltime instructors. 4. Summary of work July 1, 1946 - June 30, 1947. Schools held in 41 towns Total number of men enrolled - 607 Schools operated for 30 to 150 clock hours as 12 fire departments organized or lzed. needs demanded Put both programs The Industrial Exten r one administrative and supervisory department - Service. 1. To be conducted under the control and Committee of the present Firements Tra by statute. dance of the Advisory ing School as provided , .,..,... - 2 - 2. H. R. Brayton to be employed as full time director of the complete program of training. 3. The name of the new organization to be "The Texas Firemen's Training School." 4. Other personnel to include: a. b. The field instructor of the present Firemen's Training School. The three (3) extension instructors of the Industrial Extension Service. An additional instructor to be employed as budget permits. A half time secretary. c. d. B. Services to include: L The Annual Firemen's Training School at College. 2. Local Department Schools a. Basic operational training (itinerary to be arranged to give preference to to~us most in need of training and time spent to vary in communities as determined by training needs)., b. Short unit courses in special phases of fire prevention and protection as found needed. c. Training industrial fire brigades (emphasis on cooperation of municipal and plant departments in fire prevention and control in the plant). d. Training attendants and designated personnel of state institu- tions on request. e. Consulting service in field of Fire Prevention and Training. f. Assistance to state and local agencies in fire prevention. I 3. Publish training manual; bulletins and other literature as needed. C. Finances The budget of the combined program to be made up of funds from both the Industrial Extension Service and the Firemen's Training School. The budget and the expenditure of the funds to be administered in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas and the rules and regulations of the A. and M. College of Texas. " -3- i, Summary: The Annual Firemen's The extension fi most effective 0 The two services fire training be the best in America. inction of the st and most efficient 'Approved and signed by members of Advisory Board: Representing State Firemen's and Firemarshals Association Judge G. F. Dohrn - Mission Chief I. W. Speckels - Schulenburg Chief J. M. O'Brien - Fort Worth Chief Chester Creuzbaur - La Grange Representing A. & M. College Dean F. C. Bolton. Texas A. & M. College E. L. Williams, Vice Director Engineering Extension Service Secretary of Board - H. R. Brayton ........ /," . , ~ " i "\ \ ! . i \,~ , , , Release 10 a.m. Saturday, June 25, and thereafter Texas A. and M. News June 25, 1960 ) COLLEGE STATION, Texas, June---(Spl)---Dìrectors of the Texas A. and M. College System, meeting here today, honored the late Col. H. R. Brayton, pioneer in the training of Texas firemen, by designating the Texas Engineering Extension Ser- vice's new firemen's training area the "Brayton Firemen Train- ing Field. It CoL Brayton, who died in 1957, began offering short courses for the training of Texas firemen in 1930, while he was a member of the chemistry department staff at Texas A. M. College. Beginning the training program with less than :;:(:) twenty students, Col. Brayton, before his retirement in 1955 from active direction of the firemen's training program, saw the program expanded to an annual firemen's training school at A. and M., plus off-c training courses that were statewide in scope. During his tenure as director of firemen's training for the Industrial Extension Service of A. and M., and later the Texas Engineering Extension Service, Brayton directed the training of an estimated 50,000 Texas firemen. These men attended schools on the A. and M. campus, and at locations scattered over the state. For the first eighteen years of his service, Brayton and one itinerant fireman training instructor, carried out the .:~/) entire program of instruction for Texas firefighters other than the few large city courses operated by city departments. Success of Brayton's training program for'firemen r~sulted several years ago in insurance cr of from three to five percent in key rates for fire insurance being granted to com- . ..~ ) ;;¡¡;:Ø 2. munities whose firemen received training at the annual schools conducted on the A. and M. c and over the state. The Texas program has also received international recog- nition as a model for of firemen, and during the past five years it been expanded to include the training of Civil Defense and disaster rescue instructors and team members. The annual firemen's t ning school of the Engineering Extension Service, at Col e Station, each July, now s and from attracts about 1,500 men, from Texas out-of-state city fire governmental and from industrial and . Last July's structors, and some 1,600. student firemen, in- with firefighting de- partments to the campus, from Texas and 16 other states, plus This year's area near terwood Field, firemen from Mexico, lands and Canada. school will be held July 18-22, at the newly ted the Texas A. and M. Co airport at College Station. The training area includes lities for training firemen in both residence and types of fires, plus a model village for use in Civil Defense and disaster relief crew training. -30-