By ARABELLA SERRATA
Staff Writer
Four members of the Port Isabel Volunteer Firefighter Association [VFA] have been participating in the Rio Grande Valley Firefighter and Fire Marshal Association [FFMA] program. This program strives to ensure all
firefighters are up to date with procedures and new threats to fire safety.
According to John Sandoval, Fire Marshal for Port Isabel, the program runs for four weekends. It is a broad overview of things firefighters must know during their service.
“They go over everything from vehicle execration to ladders to structural firefighting,” said Sandoval.
Live structure fire simulations are a particularly important exercise the program offers. Many first-time firefighters go through this program to learn what to expect on the job. According to Sandoval, this training “opens their eyes and shows them exactly what to anticipate when going into live structure fires.”
“There’s a lot of people who are volunteers and come to the department with this different notion [of firefighting], so we want to put them in [the program] to make sure they know exactly what they’re getting themselves into,” said Sandoval.
The program has had good results for the department and has very high success rates, according to Sandoval. The program gives the firefighters an opportunity to practice with more expensive equipment, simulating more vigorous scenarios.
Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the Port Isabel-South Padre Press, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.