Nine students are on their way to earning their firefighter certification. The students have completed the first year of firefighter classes offered at Sulphur Springs High School for the first time during the 2020-21 school year through Career & Technical Education, as part of the emergency services program of study taught by Fire in Texas.
Overall, nine SSHS students successfully completed the Firefighter I course and attempted the the state examinations for Hazardous Materials Awareness, Firefighter I, HazMat Operations, and Firefighter II in June. Students may complete their fire certification by taking EMT-Basic their senior year and will be fully certified upon completion of that training,
Live training at the drill field in Sulphur Springs included hands-on practice with burns in a “burn house,” with a vehicle fire and a few other controlled burn scenarios to test their abilities. From learning the basics of rope to navigating their way through a burning building, Fire in Texas teaches fire recruits the basic skills they will need to become a certified firefighter.
“We are very pleased with the outcome. These students are pioneers in the program and vocation,” said SSHS coordinating teacher Todd McCoy.
“We had three students to pass all 4 tests. Those students were Chad Maynard, Benjamin Hatcher, and Jake Armstrong. Four students passed three of the four tests, and two students passed two of the four tests. Students will have the opportunity to test again to complete any sections not passed,” said Jenny Arledge, director of College & Career Readiness/Career & Technical Education.
Arledge expressed appreciation to Fire in Texas “for taking a chance on being a part of this new program of study at Sulphur Springs High School.”
“They worked with our students tirelessly to help them be successful in the coursework they completed throughout the year and in the live fire training they completed at the end of the course to prepare them for the state examinations. We appreciate their commitment in helping us get this program of study up and running,” Arledge said.
