RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas -- Last month, firefighters and prescribed burners from across the region gathered at the beautiful Elliott Lake on Red River Army Depot (RRAD) for the annual RRAD Wildland Fire Academy. RRAD partnered with the Texas A&M Forest Service to host the largest academy held at the depot to date.
With approximately 105 students from Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana in attendance, students gathered over the course of a week to gain or improve wildland firefighting qualifications. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) courses were taught by 36 instructors and staff from the Texas A&M Forest Service, Texarkana Fire Department, Plano Fire Department and Houston Fire Department. Courses offered this year included: S-130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter, S-212 Wildland Chainsaws, S-131 Firefighter Type I, S-219 Firing Operations and S-211 Portable Pumps and Water Use.
“RRAD recognizes the importance of having well trained wildland firefighters both inside and outside the fence,” said Dennis Kuykendall, RRAD Natural Resources Manager. A” catastrophic wildfire sees no boundaries and with such an incident firefighters from across the country may be called in to assist.”
Departments and agencies that attended the training were from various cities and organizations including: Beaumont, Bryan, Caney City, City of La Marque, City of Nacogdoches, City of Princeton, City of San Antonio, Conroe, Cooper, Eastex, Georgetown, Gladewater, Harris County, Houston, Lands End, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Liberty-Eylau, Longview, Lucas, Lufkin, McKinney, Meyersville, Moffat, Mt. Pleasant, New Waverly, North Hays Fire Rescue, Plano Fire Rescue, Princeton Fire, Red River Fire Department and Red River Land Managment, Santa Fe Fire, Smith County, South Montgomery County, Spring, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texarkana, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineer and Wake Village.
“The depot looks forward to hosting this event annually and invites firefighters and prescribed burners from all agencies and departments to come take advantage of this training and the awesome facilities RRAD has to offer at Elliott Lake,” said Kuykendall.
For information on lodging information, cabins and camping visit https://redriver.armymwr.com
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