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The first annual West Texas Interagency Wildfire Academy is drawing to an end with the completion of the Intermediate Wildfire Behavior course on Sunday. Organizers are calling it a very successful academy, which provided high quality instruction to numerous agencies and students from around the nation.
Instructors from the Texas Forest Service (TFS) and the National Park Service (NPS) taught approximately 85 students from various volunteer and career fire departments, along with several state and federal agencies. Students received instruction ranging from beginning firefighter training to the high-level wildland fire management courses.
“These interagency academies help everyone who respond to wildland fire and other incidents to be familiar with the same terminology and tactics which are fast becoming the national standard,” said Les Rogers, Texas Forest Service Assistant Chief Regional Fire Coordinator. “Whether you are talking about tactics or resources, everyone needs to understand what everyone else is doing. That is monumental to firefighter safety and the success of the mission.”
State Representative David Swinford and Director of the Texas Forest Service, Jim Hull also spoke at the academy about new legislation (HB 2604) that will provide $15 million annually to volunteer and part-paid fire departments for equipment and training. Another piece of legislation (HB 3667) offers volunteer fire departments workers compensation and accidental death and disability insurance for its members. The funding comes from a 2-percent tax on the retail sale of fireworks.
“Interagency cooperation is a key factor in building and maintaining great working relationships between federal, state, and local resources,” said Mike Davin, National Park Service — Fire Management Officer for the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. “This cooperation brings us all together under one nationally recognized standard.”
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