The overarching mission of the Bell County HOT series of area fire schools is to bring practical, meaningful and purposeful hands-on fire training to that is easily accessible to central Texas Firefighters in terms of both location and cost. Bell County HOT was established in 2019, drawing Firefighters from as far as Flower Mound and Rowlett. It was quickly apparent that we would need to expand our course offerings for 2020 and redesign the delivery to ensure Firefighters in need of basic, formative training could come into a learning environment geared towards the foundations and fundamentals of learning the trade from the ground up. Also evident was the need to hit the ground running with our more seasoned participants with just twenty, short hours devoted to thought provoking lectures and intensive, reality-based HOT sessions and scenarios.
What we soon found is that it would be impossible to offer the quantity…more importantly the quality…of the content we were striving for in a single weekend. This February, Bell County HOT will bring two weekends packed full of top-notch lecture and HOT sessions back to Temple Fire & Rescue’s Training Center, each with a very specific bent towards both unique audiences. Sought after instructors from around the state will be on hand to spread the gospel. Whichever session you choose (choose both, for that matter!) you will not be disappointed.
BACK2BASIC is geared towards entry level Firefighters, new recruits and cadets who are at least 18 years of age and affiliated with a fire department capable of delivering prerequisite course materials supplied by Bell County HOT in advance of the training session.
This is a hybrid course and will be delivered in accordance and compliance with NFPA 1001 and NFPA 1403 and will follow the objectives set forth for Firefighter 1, under SFFMA and TCFP curriculum. Provided with self-study course materials in advance, augmented by live instruction, participants will demonstrate their suitability to engage in safe and productive live fire training evolutions under the direct supervision of qualified Fire Instructors. Participants will successfully complete a series of live fire training evolutions, as a capstone to this learning experience.
The following subjects will be covered:
1. Safety- Distance Learning
2. Fire Behavior- Distance Learning
3. Portable Extinguishers- Distance Learning
4. Personal Protective Equipment- Live Instruction
5. Ladders- Live Instruction
6. Fire Hose, appliances, and streams- Live Instruction
7. Overhaul- Distance Learning
8. Water Supply- Live Instruction
9. Ventilation- Live Instruction
10. Forcible Entry- Live Instruction
11. Building Construction- Distance Learning
TUITION:
Tuition is $175 per Firefighter for the entire weekend. Advance preparation for the course is required and materials will be furnished to registered participants. Fees are designed to offset the actual cost of materials and instruction. They will also be covered by 2604 grant funding in their entirety, provided that the applicant follows A&M Texas Forest Service policy and procedure in making application for funding.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Completion of distance learning reading assignments and attendance of ALL weekend sessions is mandatory in order to participate in live fire training. No exceptions will be made to this requirement.
CRAFT is an intensive, three-day session open to Firefighters who seek to test their limits and expand upon their craft. Participants can choose from a host of offerings, or select a specific track for the entire weekend. Some highlights include:
Truck Track- "Truck Company Operations without a Truck," presented by the Morgan's Point Resort Fire Department. Participants will cover fundamental fireground tasks, typically associated with a Truck or Ladder Company, but with the essential tools found on an Engine Company. Friday's lecture series will unwrap and examine the philosophy of establishing groups during firefighting operations to handle: forced entry, ventilation, search, laddering, utility control and more, as a standard practice to increase both efficiency and safety. Saturday and Sunday are devoted to hands-on training on the drill field. Multi-Company Drills (MCDs) will unfold Sunday afternoon, where participants will carry what they've learned in real-time scenarios.
Engine Track- Driver/Operator Clint Baker, ret. and Firefighter Justin Rhea of Temple Fire & Rescue will provide intermediate to advanced level instruction on "all things Engine." In a nutshell, participants will be immersed in pumping operations, hose stretches, water supply and flowing water from a variety of nozzles and appliances.
Rescue Apprentice/AG Rescue- The Moffat Volunteer Fire Department will partner with TEEX and several subject matter experts in the rescue field to deliver a Rescue Apprentice course, with a special focus on Agricultural (AG) Rescue.
TUITION:
Tuition is $175 per Firefighter for the entire weekend. Advance preparation for the course is required and materials will be furnished to registered participants. Fees are designed to offset the actual cost of materials and instruction. They will also be covered by 2604 grant funding in their entirety, provided that the applicant follows A&M Texas Forest Service policy and procedure in making application for funding.
