TEEX Blog

2012-01-20T13:49:00.001-06:00

Looking Back at the 2011 CyberSecurity Year

It wouldn’t have surprised me if TIME Magazine had chosenthe anonymous face of the hacker as their Person of the Year for2011. From government agencies toelectronics giants, hackers and attackers fought their way into personalinformation systems and websites, sometimes to make a point for a higher cause,and sometimes for a lesser cause to just steal valuable personal information.

For example, in the latest attack against Strategic Forecasting Inc. (orSTRATFOR), a confidential client list was stolen, as were thousands of theclients’ credit card numbers. And some clients have reported fraudulent charges on theiraccounts.

However, it’s difficult to determine if the overall number of cyberincidents in 2011 was more or less significant than previous years, since theseverity of such attacks is so subjective and often information is limited dueto the reluctance of companies or agencies to report details. Yet the sheer volume of high-profile incidents coveredheavily by news media outlets seemed significant, while at the same time, alarge number of hacks were quite sophisticated and alarming from a nationalsecurity perspective.

At least 58 highly-publicized hacking attacks occurred in2011, with victim organizations worldwide ranging from law enforcementagencies, Fortune 500 companies and governments to defense agencies andmilitary contractors.

While some highly reported hacks were ultimately deemedrelatively trivial – briefly knocking the public website of the CentralIntelligence Agency out of commission, for instance – such attacks were stillpart of a 2011 wave that showed many major government institutions seeminglyquite vulnerable.

Additionally, at least two dozen major corporations were hit, from Apple,Sony and Citigroup to Research in Motion and Google. Media outlets like NBC,FOX and PBS were hit, too. Organizations like the European Union’s carbontrading market and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were hacked by cybercriminals,while the International Monetary Fund was hit by cyber spies looking for a legup on global negotiations. The goal of a hack of the U.S. Chamber of Commerceseemed to be to glean tidbits of information that might help the hackers targetand infiltrate U.S. companies.

Now add to those attacks a number of far more serious cyberespionage infiltrations of strategically important U.S. companies, such as RSA,a major security vendor, and Lockheed Martin, a key defense contractor. Defenseministries in Australia, the U.S., Japan, Norway and NATO were hacked too. OakRidge National Laboratory, which houses many U.S. nuclear secrets, was brokeninto as well.

Despite the existence of a global cyber-security industrywhose cumulative worth is estimated to be $80 billion, the advantage is clearlywith the attackers. The modern Internet was created for scientists andresearchers to share information without security features. Nobody could havepredicted that this Cold War technology of autonomous networks would become thesingular backbone of international commerce and data exchange. Commercialenterprises and governments latched on and soared – but have never made theirusers accountable or identifiable. Plus, there are many ways to mask computeraccess. The result: near total anonymity for sophisticated hackers.

Traditional cyber defenses need to be greatly improved,because attackers in the coming years will not only increase the anonymous andvirulent nature of their wares, but also improve on precision targeting thatwill be difficult to counter. Mobiletechnology, cloud computing and outsourcing all contribute to making cyberdefense more complex than ever.

The one theme that pulls all this together is that CyberSecurity is a very human problem, and this human bandwidth can best beaddressed with effective training andeducation. Tackling the human side of cyber security isthe first step in improving information risk management.

Note: Online Cyber Security training is availableat no charge through TEEX’s National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC) under a National Homeland Security Training Grant.

Other resources for training and information include:

http://ciastraining.com/

https://www.facebook.com/teexcyber

http://msisac.cisecurity.org/resources/videos/

Author: TimThorson is the Training Coordinator for the Cyber Security Program at the Texas Engineering ExtensionService (TEEX), part of The Texas A&M University System. He assists public and private enterprises toensure that the privacy, reliability, and integrity of the information systemsthat power our global economy remain intact and secure. He has developed new cyber security training andtechnical assistance programs for various business and government sectors.

For winter driving: Be prepared and keep your cool

2011-12-22T11:00:00.001-06:00

With winter driving, there are a lot of things that you can do before you hit the road to ensure a safe trip. And with more people driving these days instead of flying, you can bet that you won't be the only car on the highway this holiday season. So, before you buckle up and take off, here are some tips from Kyle McNew at TEEX's Public Safety & Security Division to help make it a smooth ride!

Before you leave
Some things to do before you open the car door:

Check the road conditions on the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) website or call (800) 452-9292.

For those traveling outside the state of Texas, the U.S. DOT Federal Highway Association has nationwide highway closure information.

Stay tuned to local broadcasts about the weather as well as road conditions. Check the weather where you're going as well!

Put the Texas Department of Public Safety's Stranded Motorist Hotline number in your phone's contacts: 1-800-525-5555.

As always, it's a good idea to have your car tools in good shape and available to use: spare tire, tire jack, and booster cables in case of battery failure.

The TxDOT website recommends you check your vehicle before making a long trip in winter weather, including the:

Ignition
Battery
Headlights and taillights
Brakes
Wiper blades
Antifreeze level
Fuel and exhaust systems
Heater/defroster
Tires

Make sure there is adequate water containing windshield antifreeze in the windshield washer reservoir. A lot of people forget to use a windshield washer fluid that does not freeze when it's 32 degrees and below.

Bring a good ice scraper. Running a wiper across a frozen window destroys the wiper, and it doesn't really get the ice off.

Consider what you will do should your vehicle break down. Do you have a charged cell phone available to make a call for help? Are you able to keep warm while you're waiting? It's always a good idea to have these things on hand:

A spare blanket in the trunk.
Non-perishable food items or snacks.
Water.
Your First-Aid kit, a must-have for any vehicle.
A flashlight, with extra batteries, is also recommended for any long trips in the car.
If there is the possibility of snow and/or iced roads, a bag of sand or kitty litter is helpful to keep in the trunk, along with a hand shovel, to help gain traction in icy road conditions
Flares are a great idea, as well as either a lighter or matches.

On the road

When you are traveling in sub-freezing temperatures, there is the potential for ice on the roads. Be aware of the environmental conditions. McNew offers this advice:

Wear your seat belts! And if you have children in the car, make sure you are using the appropriate child restraint system for their size and age. Seat belts save lives.

Accelerate slowly and Stop sooner. Speed is always a major issue when there are freezing conditions outside. In icy conditions, stopping distance greatly increases, and the effectiveness of the brakes greatly decreases. So increase the amount of room between your vehicle and others (following distance), be cautious, and plan well ahead for times when you need to slow down and stop. Brake gently in slow, steady strokes to see how much traction you have, and begin braking early when approaching intersections or stops. If you step on your brakes and the car starts to slide, the best thing to do is to release some of that brake pressure so that those tires will start rolling again. One of the biggest reasons that people get into trouble in winter conditions is that they forget about the fact that the car just isn't going to stop as fast as they are used to.

Be careful on bridges and overpasses. We all know that bridges and overpasses tend to ice up before the roadway itself does, so it's important to approach any bridge or overpass with a constant speed. Don't try to accelerate or decelerate while on the bridge—you want to hold a constant speed across it. Accelerating and/or decelerating on the ice can upset the stability of the car, making it veer in some other direction than where we want it to go.

Use skid control rules. If you do find yourself skidding on ice, all the same rules of skid control apply. Take your foot off the accelerator or brakes, whichever one you happen to be on, and turn into the direction of the skid. Once you get the car straight again, you can try to bring it to a stop using a minimum amount of brake pressure so that you don't slide again. Unfortunately, it's hard to regain control when your vehicle slides, and you can quickly do a lot of damage.

Remember you will need traction. If you have to start your vehicle while it's on an icy surface, all the gas in the world isn't going to make it go. The tires need something to provide traction, whether it's pea gravel, sand, salt, kitty litter, etc. That's why it is a good idea to have a bag of any of these in your vehicle in case this happens.

Stay home. If it's icy outside and you don't have to absolutely go, don't go! That's the best plan with winter driving.

Don't drive drowsy. It's never a good idea to drive during your normal bedtime hours. Coffee does not make an awake driver, it makes a caffeinated driver that's still sleepy, and you are a danger to yourself and others. You should get out of the car, and give yourself the time to rest. Drowsy drivers are as much of a danger as texting drivers and intoxicated drivers.

Be PATIENT. During the holidays, forget about the holiday rush. Not only are there more people on the road, there are also more intoxicated drivers out there. You might be the best driver in the world, but you still have to worry about the other drivers. Plan ahead, leave in plenty of time, and expect the unexpected. But most of all, have some patience. Make room for the car that is changing lanes, and give yourself plenty of room so that you can react to what the other vehicles are doing. Keeping your cool during winter driving will help you arrive safely.

Click the links below for more information:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/#trff

http://www.intellicast.com/Travel/Driving/Highways.aspx

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/GIS/HCRS_main/viewer.htm

Kyle McNew is a Training Manager and Instructor for courses including Police Emergency Driving, Emergency Vehicle Operations, and Traffic Accident Avoidance at TEEX.

Growing Green Communities - Austin Rural Sustainability Conference

2011-10-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Learn how sustainable technologies and business practices can save money, make money and create jobs

It’s no secret that Texas has experienced not only the hottest summer on record, but one of the worst wildfire seasons in memory. Hundreds of homes were lost as friends and neighbors scrambled to simply survive the long, hot summer. Unfortunately, as we move into the fall, meteorologists predict a second year of the La Nina weather pattern which is believed to have caused our hot, dry weather. Though we can’t change the weather, on November 14-16, Texans can help mitigate next year’s heat as well as learn how to rebuild “green.” Register today for the fourth Texas Rural Sustainability Conference in Austin, conducted by Growing Green Communities.

The Growing Green Communities Rural Sustainability Conference is for anyone interested in hearing and seeing real-life examples from people who have saved money, made money and created jobs by adopting sustainable technologies and business practices.

Need more reasons to attend?

Learn practical, real-world examples of sustainable business practices.
Meet representatives and gain insights on programs from state and federal agencies.
Learn about funding sources, incentives and other resources available for sustainable business development.
Network with peers and service providers.
Earn Continuing Education Units.

Sustainability is not a new concept for rural communities, whose roots in agriculture have ensured a long history of interest in resource management. The very nature of rural life demands an entrepreneurial, independent spirit and close attention to the bottom line. The Growing Green conference series brings information and resources about sustainable technologies and business practices to rural areas, shortening the distance to rural communities and presenting real opportunities to diversify rural economies and create jobs.

Speakers and Green Tracks

Our keynote speakers in Austin include Texas State Sen. Steve Ogden and Texas Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith. Other speakers include representatives from business, finance, industry and government.

You can find information on our entire slate of speakers on the Austin conference speaker’s page on GrowingGreenCommunities.com.

While there, check out our Growing Green conference tracks:

Financing and Incentives for Growing Green
Growing Green with Renewable Energy and Sustainable Practices
Progressive Practices by Texas Utilities
Green Workforce Development
Building and Managing Sustainable Facilities

Please visit GrowingGreenCommunities.com for a complete green conference program.

Growing Green Awards
Plan to attend the opening session on Nov. 14, from 2 – 4 p.m., where we will announce our first-ever Growing Green Awards. The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) will honor 10 outstanding initiatives that have created economic value and opportunity through environmental stewardship, energy conservation and sustainable practices in Texas rural communities. The awards program will recognize individuals, businesses, communities and organizations in five categories:

School Districts, including Private Schools
Rural Communities
Electric Cooperatives and Municipal Electric Utilities
Businesses
Elected Officials

The criteria for evaluation for all categories include the degree to which the effort saved money, made money or created jobs as a result of an activity or initiative dedicated to energy efficiency, renewable energy solutions, creating sustainable communities or clean energy technologies.

For more information, please visit the Growing Green Awards page on the Growing Green Communities website.

Sponsors
The Growing Green conference series and website are produced by the Texas Engineering Extension Service’s Knowledge Engineering Division under a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The grant, “Communicating, Collaborating and Innovating towards Sustainable Development,” will bring sustainable economic development opportunities to rural communities through conferences and other means of information sharing.

Texans are tough, and we’ll recover from whatever nature throws at us. Texans are also smart and know that rebuilding sustainably is a key to saving money, making money and creating jobs for the 21st century.

Sam White is a communications specialist for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and Internet marketing manager for the Growing Green Communities conference series. We welcome your comments on our blog, or you may write to me at sam.white@tamu.edu.

NOTE: A variety of exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities are available to help you find the most effective way to promote your business to our attendees. For further information on exhibiting or sponsoring our Rural Sustainability Conference in Austin or our upcoming April conference in Rockwall, Texas, please visit the sponsor and exhibitor page on GrowingGreenCommunities.com, or contact Ann Lauter at 979-458-8723.

Texas Helicopter Search and Rescue Team: A Partnership That Saves Lives

2011-10-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Rescue 911 and other emergency reality shows on TV, helicopters are one of those things that people anticipate coming to their call for help. And in a lot of cases they are the best tool to solve many of the problems. They can move quickly, and they can reduce the hazardous exposure to the rescuers. Flying in a helicopter may seem dangerous, but sometimes it’s more dangerous putting a boat in the water than it is putting a helicopter in the sky. If you’ve got a boat and you’re doing a rescue and right below you is Killer Fang Falls, there’s a chance that everybody is going to go over those falls if the motor quits. It can be a whole lot safer doing everything from the sky.

With search and rescue, we have three different avenues of approach. We can approach from the ground, the water, or the air. Invariably, something is going to happen that makes it impossible for us to approach from the ground or the water. Flooding, for example, can make the ground approach difficult or impossible. Obstructions in the water can cause life threatening and unsafe conditions for boat squads attempting a rescue. That’s when air rescue is a very complementary modality – a perfect tool in the response toolbox.

One of our mottos is “Do the most good for the most people in the least amount of the time.” The tool that works is the best one – it may be as complex as sending in an entire task force or it may be as simple as sending in one Blackhawk helicopter to retrieve someone trapped on the roof of their vehicle, on the top of their house, or out of a tree.

The Texas Helicopter Search and Rescue Team (HSART) program was started in 2001 after Tropical Storm Allison. Initially, it was a joint partnership between STAR Flight, an EMS/Rescue helicopter program; Texas Military Forces (TxMF), a part of the Texas National Guard; and TEEX and its Texas Task Force 1. The program now has standard operating guidelines, standard equipment and standard load configurations.

Every person that goes on the hook goes on the hook the exact same way; every person that sits in the helicopter sits on the exact same spot. That coordination, that crew management piece is really being honed, and that’s one of the advantages of having the monthly trainings we hold.

We’ve got 15 members of the Texas Task Force 1 now who are dedicated to helicopter rescue. We bought each one of the rescuers all of the gear that they needed so that they’re outfitted exactly like the pilots and crew chiefs: same exact helmets, same exact flight suits, same exact equipment. We also provided them with the additional personal protective equipment to do all of the lifesaving missions. That’s above and beyond what the flight crew and pilots are taking with them on the helicopter. And we bought all of the appliances to provide the lifesaving equipment—the helicopter litter, the rescue baskets, etc. That just seemed like the right thing to do-- that’s part of the partnership. And it gives all of our rescuers ownership because it’s their safety that depends on that equipment working, so they will take better care of it if it’s their stuff.

We’re just starting to work on TxMF’s new helicopter airframe, which is called a Lakota (LUH72), in addition to the Blackhawk helicopter. While it doesn’t have the same capacity as the Blackhawk, the Lakotas can still be used for search and rescue, rapid needs assessments and for surveys, as well as doing a 911 response single dispatch to an area. If the situation is bigger than they can solve, if they need more resources, then they would probably call in one of the Blackhawk crews to assist in dealing with it. Plus, the Lakota is the same helicopter as the EC145, which is what the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and STAR Flight have. So these three organizations will have the same asset. That gives us interoperability, which is always a good thing. The cross-training pieces of it will apply, and lessons learned working with one organization transfer to the other organization, and that’s what we’re hoping for.

The Texas HSART is important for our citizens because sometimes air rescue is the only tool that will work. Sometimes without that tool, the problem is unsolvable. There is nothing in the policy and procedures that allows for a national guardsman to be a rescuer, and there’s nothing in the Texas Task Force 1’s guidelines that allows any of our people to fly helicopters. So by providing Task Force rescuers to the TxMF helicopters, we provide the complementary piece that gives the state and the TxMF the full benefit of that aviation asset. It’s a perfect partnership that saves lives.

Jeff Saunders is TEEX's Associate Director of Disaster Preparedness & Response as well as Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) Operations Chief.

Five Key Principles: How to Defend Against an Edged Weapon

2011-09-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

Liberi: “And against me, neither arms nor armor are to be of value.”

Fairbairn: “There is no more deadly weapon than the knife. An entirely unarmed man has no defense against it.”

Obviously these two were really proud of their offensive knife skills. However, those of us that teach defensive knife skills to law enforcement officers can’t let our students just believe them and give up. Arms and armor are of value — a knife may be the deadliest weapon, but an unarmed man can defend himself against it.

Bruce Siddle, founder of PPCT Management Systems and the Warrior Science Group, designed and implemented the Spontaneous Knife Defense program to defend against an edged weapon attack. He chose a simple, yet effective way to defend against a spontaneous attack using five core principles that have been taught around the world. These principles are:

Avoid the Attack

Control the Weapon

Stun the Offender

Ground the Offender

Disarm the Offender

First and foremost is to Avoid the Attack. This can be accomplished in various ways, but simply put it means to stop the edged weapon from stabbing or slicing you. Obviously the best way to avoid an edged weapon attack is by using a firearm. When I teach this principle, I tell my students the more time, distance, and cover they can get, the better off they will be. Preferably I will be behind my car with an patrol rifle! However, what if I can’t gain distance or cover? What if the attack is spontaneous while I am standing in my interview stance at the edge of my reactionary gap? Then I need to avoid the attack by keeping the weapon from striking me through redirecting the person or the weapon, passing the weapon, or blocking the weapon. Then I need to move on to the second principle.

Controlling the Weapon can be done in various ways, but it boils down to pinning the weapon in one place. This can be done by grasping the arm that has the weapon or by pinning the weapon to the ground, or to you, in order to immobilize it. If you are going to get cut, this is when it is going to happen. You have done all that you can do to avoid the attack and it didn’t work. You need to concentrate on minimizing the damage that is going to be inflicted. This is also where the warrior mindset comes into play. I can accept a few cuts and scratches in order to live — I can withstand this attack so that I may repel it — and I really am going to go home tonight to my loved ones!

Now that the weapon is controlled, we move on to Stun the Offender. We move from defensive to offensive tactics. If necessary, may I use my firearm? Absolutely, as long as your gun hand is free or you are able to draw and shoot with your support hand. But, if you can’t use your firearm for whatever reason, stun them. Siddle defines stunning as overwhelming sensory input that is sudden, intense, and unexpected. Strikes can be delivered to the head, side of the neck, or anywhere else on the body that you have the ability to strike — and you want to continue to strike them until they are overwhelmed. As you are stunning them, ensure that you continue to trap the weapon so they can’t use it on you.

Grounding the Offender, although not necessary, does aid in the ability to disarm them while allowing you to control them and the weapon at the same time.

Finally, we Disarm the Offender. Some thought must go into this step before actually doing it. What are you going to do with the edged weapon? You have to secure it somewhere on your body, so where is the best place for this? Look at your own equipment and find somewhere that is stable and strong, that won’t be cut away when placing the edged weapon in it, and then practice finding that spot during a high stress encounter. After disarming, you should finish with a handcuffing technique.

Remember these five key principles when defending against an edged weapon, and always remember the first is the most important – Avoid the Attack. If I can see the weapon quickly enough and recognize it for what it is, I can increase the distance (the farther, the better), gain cover, and use an implement of deadly force if necessary. If they are too close, block the weapon to keep it from getting into the core of the body and then trap it to stop the attack. After that, it is a matter of stunning, grounding, and then disarming the attacker.

It doesn’t really matter what system you use or how you choose to protect yourself – by following these key principles you can prove Liberi and Fairbairn wrong. You can survive an edged weapon attack, and go home at the end of your shift.

Larry Frye is Training Coordinator for the Public Safety and Security Training Division of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), which is a part of the Texas A&M University System. Larry has over 20 years of experience in law enforcement, including 12 years in instruction.

Remembering 9/11.

2011-09-08T15:28:00.001-05:00

September 11th was a day filled with disbelief. The news media had reported that an aircraft had flown into the towers, and to see it replayed on television, you had to think it was a mishap. Then, all of a sudden, LIVE, for everyone to see–there was a second plane, and you’re really thinking, “My eyes are playing tricks on me.” But it happened, and it happened on U.S. soil.

I got a call very early that morning, saying, “Turn the news on, turn the news on!” And when I first saw it, I was stunned. I was paged immediately by FEMA: “Get to New York!” My responsibility was to interface between the military and all of the FEMA teams coming in and out of New York City, including all of the urban search and rescue groups. Ultimately, 17 of the 28 national urban search and rescue teams assisted at Ground Zero. Flying in that night from California in the cockpit of a C141, we landed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Off in the distance, you could actually see the lights and a smoke plume. Later as we drove into New York City with the other FEMA responders, we were all shocked and dismayed.

We arranged for the first helicopters that flew over Ground Zero on the 12th, and we saw the vertical view. It was so amazing because the destruction was so confined, just within a few blocks. And to see ALL of the activity from an aerial viewpoint was incredible — almost an orchestra of pieces and parts in motion. The first time that I was actually on the rubble pile was a surreal experience. There was every color of smoke that you can imagine. I remember learning the colors of the rainbow in science class, and I was thinking, “Wait a second, there are more colors here.”

There was a heat about the pile, about the ground—it was not just a construction site, it was not just another area, it was very, very unique. To me there was almost a silence about it. Certainly you heard the cranes, you heard the cutting, but it was almost like stepping into a church. You wanted to lower your voice, you wanted to be respectful— that experience has really stayed with me.

Seeing the devastation, we knew there were losses. And since the community of emergency responders is relatively small and close-knit the world over, we were thinking about the people that we had lost. And we thought of the people who’d had no idea of what was going to happen to them. Had it actually really happened like we’d seen on the news? But we couldn’t grieve then, because we were asked to do a job that day. I think the general feeling was that we were called upon to use our particular skill set to help others. We’ll never know what difference was made, but just being able to offer some service was our job. And not only at those major events like 9/11, but firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel – they do these things every day, every time someone calls 9-1-1. In some way, people’s lives are affected and the call is being answered. This was a bigger event, but our response was just an extension of what a community’s emergency response group does day in and day out.

The thing that I will never forget is the incredible resilience and attitude that Americans can show. We have disagreements, politically and socially, but during and after 9/11, everyone came together, and I have to say I was never more proud to be an American. The streets of Manhattan were lined with people who were thanking the rescuers. For our part, we didn’t need thanks. We were doing a job that our training and family support allowed us to do. We were actually more worried about the local community and making sure that they were okay. It was just a very special time that reminded me that the American spirit is an amazing thing.

Unfortunately, the reality that struck us was that terrorism had come to American soil. As we remember 9/11, we’re going to continue to be prepared and vigilant. We’ve learned to communicate better between different jurisdictions and with the federal government. Today, as a country, if something bad happens, we know we can pull together.

September 11th will remain a defining moment for our country, just as other world-changing events such as Pearl Harbor, the assassination of JFK and the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger have marked generations before. And as we pause to reflect on the events of 9/11 a decade later, we stand renewed in our resolve to never forget.

--------------

J. Robert “Bob” McKee is the director of Texas Task Force 1 and TEEX’s Disaster Preparedness and Response Division. He was with the Ohio Task Force One on September 11th, 2001, and was deployed to Ground Zero in New York City.

Making Emergency Preparedness Easier for the Whole Family

2011-08-25T11:21:00.003-05:00

Hurricanes, chemical spills, ice storms, power failures, floods... any of these events can lead to a crisis situation if you aren’t prepared. One way to keep a challenge from turning into a crisis is to have a clear plan in place for dealing with the unexpected, and a simple, ready-to-go emergency kit. September is National Emergency Preparedness month and the peak of hurricane season, so now is the perfect time to make a plan and build your own emergency kit.

Disasters can hit at any time, any place, with limited warning. If a plan doesn’t already exist, then it will be too late to make one… much less act on it. So follow the advice of the emergency responders: make a plan, build an emergency kit, and stay informed. These three tips will help you and your family if an emergency should occur.

Make A Plan

There are several key factors in making your disaster plan. First, you need to answer a few important questions:

· If your family is separated, where will you meet in the event of an emergency? Don’t count on cell phones and email, as they may not be available in an emergency. Instead, decide ahead of time on a safe place to meet, and choose an alternate location in the event the first choice is inaccessible.

· Who knows how to find you? Include an out-of-state relative or friend on your planning team. Let them know where you will meet, and make sure that you can contact them easily. If something happens, they can be alerted and can let others know where you planned to meet. Remember, a local contact is likely to be affected by the same emergency affecting you.

· Who knows the plan? Your emergency plan isn’t much good if you are the only one who knows. Write it down, give a copy to your emergency contacts, and make sure everyone on your team knows what to do. Remind everyone (practice) from time to time so you are always ready. Find out more about making a written emergency plan by viewing www.ready.gov.

· What equipment will you need? A simple emergency kit can be a lifesaver – literally. Put together an emergency kit and make it part of your plan.

· If you have small children that are in school or daycare, find out what the school’s policy is about pickup during times of bad weather. Will they call you? Or will they announce it on local television stations and radio?

· Do you have pets? Will they need to go with you in the event of an emergency?

· Do you have elderly neighbors that may not realize that there is bad weather or an emergency situation coming?

Build a Kit

Building an emergency kit requires some pre-planning and shopping, but once it is done you won’t have to do anything except check to make sure it is up to date annually. This is also a good time to review your written plan. An emergency kit is designed to be used either inside the home, for a shelter-in-place situation, or outside the home if you are required to leave your home for a period of time. "Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between. In the event of a chemical spill or a fire at a chemical plant, it may also mean "seal the room." In other words, you will need to take steps to prevent outside air from coming in.

Let’s start with the basics of building a kit:

· First, find a plastic tub or bin with a lid, preferably one that latches or snaps on tightly.

· You’ll need a flashlight or fluorescent lantern (the lantern allows you to light up a larger area). Also, emergency candles, a lighter, and/or matches are recommended. Candles should be the glass jar type, which are less affected by wind or weather and don’t require a holder.

· Assemble or purchase an up-to-date, complete first aid kit. This should be separate from your household first aid kit, so that is stays complete and in place. First aid kits should contain an assortment of first aid items, such a Band-Aids, antiseptic, bandages, tape, aspirin, sanitation and hygiene items, and depending on the individual may need to also contain prescriptions, glasses/contact lenses and solution.

· Clothing is the next category to consider. It is a good idea to consider a several-day supply of clothes; and clothing can be folded into Ziploc bags. If you are preparing your kit in the summer, remember to consider packing for various temperatures and seasons. Grab a poncho or three as well, for rain or to make a small shelter.

· Think about your clothing and bedding needs. Include some blankets; woven blankets are less bulky than quilted comforters, and wool blankets retain heat even when wet.

· Food is the next emergency kit category. Camping or backpacking food, which can be found at many sporting goods or outdoors stores, is ideal for this purpose. While most people think of canned food as a primary food to pack, it is heavy and requires lots of accessories (pots, pans, etc.). Backpacking food is efficient for either a shelter-in-place or an evacuation because of the built-in heater packs. Try a few first, so that you know how to prepare it (and what you like!).

· Have at least 3-4 cases of 8 oz. bottles of water ready near your emergency kit. Gallon jugs are also fine, but people tend to waste a little more water if they are pouring from a jug. With the smaller bottles, they can be used for drinking, rinsing or smaller usage.

· Other supplies needed include a length of rope, large trash bags for storage or to keep items dry, and a small fire extinguisher. Duct tape and a plastic tarp are also good items to have in your kit in the event that windows need to be secured.

· Once the essentials, including the first aid-kit, clothing, food and water and supplies have been packed in the bin, you might consider entertainment ideas, especially if there are children in the family. Books, puzzles, or activities that do not require batteries may be helpful if traveling in the car or for extended periods away from home.

· Supplies for your vehicle may also be in order, including: a flashlight, extra batteries and maps, a first aid kit, tire repair kit, pumps, bottled water and non-perishable food.

Finally, documentation is extremely important for completing your kit. Organizing a “financial first aid” kit will help you gather all of the important documents, such as insurance paperwork, home owner policies, and bank account information – these are items you’ll need if you have to completely start over from scratch.

Although it may sound a bit overwhelming, a little thought and a little planning will help you and your family be prepared for whatever surprises come your way.

Stay Informed

Important Links

Visit FEMA’s Ready.gov for more information about disaster preparedness for your family, and tips on making an emergency plan and kit. The same information can also be found in Spanish on Listo.gov.

Go her for Information for Pet Owners.

This link will help you Develop a Family Disaster Plan.

Here's some help with Evacuation Plans.

Quickshare your emergency information: This online application allows you to create an email with basic emergency information to send to family and friends that you would like to contact in the event of an emergency.

Download publications on the following: Are you Ready Manual (in-depth guide to citizen preparedness), Older Americans, Disabilities and Special Needs, Information for Pet Owners, Ready Kids Publications.

TEEX’s Emergency Preparedness page has links to more information that you can use to make your preparations easier and more complete.

Plus, here is an extensive, but not all-inclusive, list of potential disasters, as well as actions you can take to stay safe. A list of most likely disasters may include: Blackouts, Chemical Threat, Earthquakes, Explosions, Extreme Heat, Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, Influenza Pandemic, Landslide and Debris Flow, (Mudslide), Nuclear Threat, Radiation Threat, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Wildfires, Winter Storms and Extreme Cold, Tsunamis and Volcanoes.

Take care of yourself and your family by being prepared. Remember: make a plan, get a kit, and stay informed!

The Four Universal Rules of Gun Handling: TEEX's Lee Santo

2011-07-19T15:07:00.004-05:00

One of the subjects we teach police officers at the TEEX Firearms Training Range is the safe use and handling of firearms. There are four universal rules of gun handling we work to instill in all of our firearms students. The Four Universal Rules of Gun Handling are included here with a brief explanation of each rule.

First Safety Rule: Treat all guns as if they are loaded ALL the time. A lot of people are injured, or even killed, by the mishandling of supposedly unloaded firearms every year. There is no excuse for this happening. Treat guns properly and with respect, then there should be no problem. If you see a gun and you don’t know what to do with it, leave it alone. Treat it like it’s loaded. Don’t touch it if you’re not sure how to handle it.

Second Safety Rule: Never point the muzzle of a firearm at anything you are not willing to DESTROY. By muzzle, I mean the end where the bullet comes out. That’s where the projectile leaves the weapon. Do not point the gun at anything that can’t be fixed or replaced. Do not point the gun at yourself or someone else unless you intend to shoot them. This means anywhere inside your own home, or wherever you may be that you don’t want the projectile to hit, injure or kill someone. Remember, firearms by their design are inherently dangerous, especially if mishandled. So, don’t point the end of the gun, the muzzle end, at anything you’re not willing to destroy.

Another important point about the second rule: find a safe direction to point the muzzle when handling the firearm. On the TEEX firearms range it is pretty easy to find a safe direction—it’s where we post our targets. If you are handling a firearm inside your own home, you need to be sure what direction is a safe direction. Are the interior walls of your home made of sheetrock? Sheetrock doesn’t stop bullets. Consider what is on the other side of that wall. That might be your children’s bedroom. You might live in an apartment where there are people living on the other side of that interior wall. Do you live on the top floor of an apartment complex? If you do, pointing the weapon down, towards the floor, may not be a good idea. Consequently, if you live on the bottom floor, pointing it up may not be the safest idea either. If an exterior wall is made out of brick—that might be the safest direction to point the gun because the brick might stop a bullet should there be an inadvertent discharge. So, always be aware of where you’re pointing the muzzle and don’t point it at anything you don’t intend to hurt, destroy, or kill.

Third Safety Rule: Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you’re ready to shoot. The vast majority of modern firearms have a variety of safety mechanisms to keep the weapon from firing unless the safety mechanism is disengaged. These safeties also prevent the weapon from firing even if it is accidentally dropped. The gun will only fire when the trigger is depressed. So, when handling weapons, keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot. It’s just a good rule. Whether you are drawing the gun from a holster or putting it back in the holster, getting it out of a gun case, gun cabinet, gun safe, car trunk---WHATEVER, keep your finger off the trigger. Remember, your finger stays off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot.

Fourth Safety Rule: Know your target and what’s beyond your target. On the TEEX Firearms Range where we train the police officers, we have a large bullet trap behind the target line that catches all the bullets. But if you’re going out for recreational firearms use, you may not always have the luxury of a bullet trap. You need to be aware of where you are shooting and where the bullet will stop. Bullets, even small caliber bullets, can travel as far as a mile. Make sure there is a backstop capable of stopping the caliber of bullet you are firing.

Even when training police officers for deadly force confrontations--situations where they may have to shoot a perpetrator committing a violent crime--we emphasize the need to know where the bullet will go in the event the bullet passes through the offender. There is no criminal or civil protection for a police officer, in an otherwise justifiable shooting, should an innocent third party be injured by the bullet the officer fired. The officers are always responsible for where those bullets travel and so are you. So, if you’re going out for a day of shooting to practice your skills, make sure you know your target and beyond--know where the bullet will stop.

Lee Santo is the Training Manager with TEEX’s Public Safety & Security Training Division, a part of The Texas A&M University System. After serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Santo has served in law enforcement for 20 years and has worked at TEEX since 2005. He has operational responsibility for the TEEX Central Texas Police Academy and supervises the scheduling and delivery of all law enforcement extension training programs. TEEX offers a variety of courses in the public safety field and law enforcement, including the Central Texas Police Academy’s Basic Peace Officer course. For more information, visit the Law Enforcement page or visit TEEX’s Public Safety & Security division page.

Spanish Fire School: Unique Training Delivered by World Class Instructors

2011-07-14T15:46:00.009-05:00

Things have been heating up this week as temperatures have soared over 100 degrees F at the Brayton Fire Training Field, which is hosting the 45^th Annual Spanish Fire Training School for more than 630 firefighters from more than 15 countries. Firefighters are taking courses, not just in firefighting, but in rescue, hazardous materials and fire instructor training. And every course is taught in Spanish with the assistance of 173 guest instructors and safety officers from across the world.

The instructors volunteer their time for the brotherhood of the fire service that knows no borders. They recognize the importance of training and are vocal supporters of this unique school for Spanish-speaking firefighters. Some have been coming every year for 10, 20, 30 years or more! One of them is Ramón Domínguez from Mexico City, who leads the training in hazardous materials. He has been attending for 35 years, well before the HazMat program at the school started in 1992.

Missing the school for the first time in 50+ years is Chief Salvador Lambretón from Monterrey, Mexico. Chief Lambretón, who helped establish the Spanish Fire School in 1966, was unable to attend this year.

TEEX officials make no qualms about the fact that the school would not be possible without the dedication of guest instructors and safety officers. To show their appreciation this year, the school reinstated a tradition of handing out a special bright red Spanish Fire School cap to each of them. The caps are easy to spot around the field - a symbol of respect for those who come each year to share their knowledge with the next generation of firefighters.

Ten guest instructors who had taught at Annual Fire Training Schools for 10 or more years passed away during the past year and were remembered in a moving ceremony on Wednesday morning at the Guest Instructor Memorial Wall at Brayton Field. The names of the 10 instructors will now join hundreds of others already engraved on the wall. The ceremony was marked by the laying of a wreath, an honor guard, tolling of 5 bells, lowering the flags to half staff, a bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace," and bugle calls delivered by 16-year-old Julio Robles. Robles, the son of guest instructor Juan Jesus Robles of Nuevo Laredo, has played at the ceremony for three years.

See more about the annual school on the Bryan/College KBTX.com website or read the story in the Bryan-College Station Eagle newspaper. Photos from the weeklong school can also be viewed on the TEEX Flickr page.

Escuela para Bomberos: Instrucción sin igual en manos de instructores a nivel mundial

Ha hecho un calor impresionante esta semana, con más de 100 grados F en el Campo Brayton de Capacitación, donde se ofrece la 45ª Escuela para Bomberos en Español a la que asisten unos 630 bomberos de más de 15países. Los bomberos toman cursos de combate de incendio, rescate y materiales peligrosos, entre otras materias, impartidos en español por 173 instructores invitados y oficiales de seguridad de todo el mundo.

Los instructores se ofrecen como voluntarios en honor a la hermandad que no reconoce fronteras a la hora de responder a incendios y demás emergencias. Todos entienden la importancia de la capacitación y saben que la que se ofrece en esta Escuela es de un nivel muy elevado. Algunos han venido todos los años desde hace 10, 20, 30 años o más. Uno de ellos es el Ing. Ramón Domínguez, de la Ciudad de México, el Director de los cursos de materiales peligrosos, quien asiste desde hace 35 años, mucho antes de establecerse el programa HazMat en la Escuela en 1992. Lamentablemente este año ―por primera vez en más de 50 años ― falta el Jefe Salvador Lambretón, de Monterrey, México. El Jefe Lambretón, uno de los fundadores de la Escuela en 1966, por desgracia no pudo llegar esta vez.

La dirección de TEEX reconoce que no sería posible la Escuela sin la dedicación de los instructores invitados y los oficiales de seguridad. Este año, para hacer constar su agradecimiento por la contribución de estos voluntarios, se ha vuelto a introducir una antigua tradición de regalarles a todos un gorro rojo con el nombre de la Escuela. Ahora, en el Campo Brayton se pueden identificar por su gorro rojo a los que se ofrecen desinteresadamente para compartir sus conocimientos con la siguiente generación de bomberos.

Como de costumbre se reconocieron a los instructores invitados (con diez años o más de servicio en cualquiera de las Escuelas de TEEX) que fallecieron durante el último año. Se realizó la ceremonia conmemorativa el miércoles frente a la lápida donde se inscribirán los nombres de los diez instructores difuntos. Durante la ceremonia se colocó una corona, la Guardia de Honor puso las banderas a media asta, se escucharon los toques simbólicos de campana y una versión de la canción tradicional “Amazing Grace,” y tocó la corneta Julio Robles, hijo del instructor Juan Jesús Robles, ambos de Nuevo Laredo. El joven Robles ha tocado la corneta en las últimas tres ceremonias conmemorativas celebradas en el Campo Brayton.

TEEX Firefighter Training: Safety is No Accident

2011-06-28T15:19:00.004-05:00

At the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), we have the privilege – and responsibility – of training many thousands of firefighters and emergency response personnel from all 50 states and from more than 45 countries each year. Our goal is to provide the highest quality, most realistic emergency services training in the world, and the safest training environment possible. In fact, our emphasis on safety – both during training and on the job – is perhaps the most important element of our training programs. Our TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) is committed to providing safe training experiences and promoting the importance of safety on the job.

Developing a Comprehensive Safety Manual
Our safety programs have evolved since we began training Texas firefighters in 1930. A simple manual that began decades ago with 3 or 4 procedures now encompasses 358 pages, 21 procedures and 5 appendices, which meet all local, state and federal requirements. As a leading training organization, we have had an opportunity to not only develop a comprehensive set of guidelines to govern our own training programs, but also to become a valuable resource for our customers and the emergency response organizations that we serve.

Our comprehensive Safety Manual prepares participants for our courses and addresses major concerns of firefighting during training exercises. It has three major purposes:

      1)      It communicates expectations.
      2)      It defines procedures.
      3)      It describes documentation and verification policies.

Safety and NFPA 1403

Our Safety Manual outlines an extensive set of policies on controlling training conditions and scenarios – another key element of our safety program. We utilize NFPA 1403 guidance to ensure a safe training environment. We limit fuel loads to ensure that temperatures never exceed 700° F at ceiling level in any of our burn facilities. Thermal imaging is used to monitor temperatures and to determine fuel load per room; TEEX only works with permanent burn structures, so these temperatures are easier to predict and control. We have to remember that we are teaching technique – not experience – and that bringing all students out safely is our No. 1 goal.

We stress appropriate personal protective equipment, and the Safety Manual is a primary method of communication with our students about the gear required to participate in our training exercises. The manual also addresses our policies for vehicle and equipment operation, and describes other expectations for training site operations and activities.

Some major elements include:

PPE requirements
Fall protection
Vehicle and equipment operation
Weather conditions as a hazard
Training apparatus and procedure safety

Our manual is provided to all guest instructors and students, as well as all safety officers and Emergency Response Team (ERT) coordinators. We post our Student Safety Manual on our webpage, and it is the third most downloaded document from the TEEX website. You can download your own copy here or by using the links below.

Extreme Weather in Texas

An often overlooked, but critical element of any safety program is coping with extreme weather. While severe weather is out of our control, we identify and communicate a severe weather plan to the students and staff before it is needed, not after the storm arrives. The safety plan includes establishment of safe havens that are often associated with tornadoes and thunderstorms. Internet, satellite TV, portable lightning monitors and fixed lightning prediction systems on the Brayton Fire Training Field assist us in severe weather monitoring.

High heat and humidity are elements of firefighting and of our climate here in Texas. To accomplish high-performance training during high temperatures, we stress avoidance of alcoholic beverages, and we have a clearly established hydration policy. Charts and visuals help us inform students how much water to drink based on the heat index, and our instructors monitor potential heat stress or other concerns. We also have field paramedics on-site during all training evolutions to monitor students for heat stress and to provide patient care when needed.

Incident command structure and brief logs

Besides our Safety Manual, policies and procedures, how do we accomplish all of the other elements required for an effective safety program? The ESTI organization and communication model is paramount to the safety of our students. It starts with an incident command structure (ICS).

Our leadership team utilizes a Training Action Plan (TAP) and daily brief logs to disseminate information to the subordinate staff. The TAP includes an organization chart, assignment list, lightning procedure, transportation and field evacuation plan, medical plan, health and safety messages and a communications plan. This command structure sets the tone for our training operations, and guarantees that the messages contained in our Safety Manual are effectively delivered to our students.

Medics on call
If something happens despite all of our safety preparations and precautions, we are ready to respond to training hazards at any given moment. TEEX utilizes field paramedics during all training, whether it is classroom or hands-on training. The field medics operate out of our first aid station and are capable of providing advanced life support both in the field and at the first aid station. Additional Safety Officers are positioned inside and outside training structures to execute emergency evacuation plans if something goes wrong. A minimum of one Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) – in full gear with a charged fire hose – is put into action for each burn evolution. We use an established evacuation route, based on training scenarios, and we never use students as Safety Officers.

Compliance
Of course, having a great safety plan and a great Safety Manual isn’t a benefit if it is not implemented effectively, and implementation must be verified, as guided by NFPA 1403. In fact, many of our customers have suggested that implementation and verification of safety protocols is often much more difficult than developing them!

So we start with strong procedures and guidelines, and to ensure compliance, we utilize a number of safety checklists. Our checklist-driven planning, safety analysis, and documentation steps help to verify that our safety procedures are followed. Furthermore, they help to create a culture that focuses on the details of high-quality, high-safety training techniques.

A Safety Commitment
Safety is not an accident. It requires a comprehensive safety program and constant vigilance. There are no excuses for student injuries during training, and the consequences can be severe. How could we face their colleagues, their families if we didn’t work to make sure that everything was done right?

The bottom line is that TEEX and ESTI are 120 percent committed to providing the safest, highest quality firefighter and emergency response training available…and we have the documents to prove it.

Available downloads:

Hydration Guide (pdf) (Español)

Training Safety Protocols (PDF)

Industrial Course Safety Officer (PowerPoint)

ESTI Student Safety Manual (pdf) (Español)

Interior Pre-burn Plan (Excel)

Interior Project Safety Analysis (Excel)

by Ron Peddy, Associate Director for Logistics & Safety
Emergency Services Training Institute, Texas Engineering Extension Service

NOTE: Portions of this blog were first presented at the 2010 Firehouse Central.

Texas Public Works Response Team

2011-05-24T10:50:00.003-05:00

This intersection showcases a public

works disaster: debris, road damage,
downed traffic signs and power lines,
and exposed gas, sewer, and water lines.

The Texas Public Works Response Team (PWRT) is a state asset that supports local jurisdictions in their response to a catastrophic incident by providing public works technical assistance to facilitate quick recovery of a community’s critical infrastructure. The operationally-ready response teams are recruited from local jurisdictions and coordinate with other state agencies within Texas. The teams are composed of public works disciplines which function under the Texas Statewide Mutual Aid System and are deployed by the State Operations Center (SOC) under the direction of the Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).

This state-controlled asset provides an “all-hazards” response, a concept applicable in any state. Whether it’s hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, forest fires, ice storms, or tornadoes, the PWRT model works well.

A backhoe places helicopter-delivered

3,000-pound sandbags in order

to stop Rio Grande River floodwaters

from breaching a railroad berm

and flooding the city of LaJoya, TX.

The PWRT was forged utilizing public works resources from local government and the private sector throughout the State of Texas in the aftermath of 2005’s devastating Gulf Coast Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In 2007, the late Jack Colley¹, then Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), contacted TEEX with the concept of developing the PWRT.

When the new PWRT activated for the 2008 hurricane season, its inaugural year was literally a trial by storm. The TDEM deployed the PWRT for four storms: Dolly, Edouard, Gustav, and the devastating “graduation exercise,” Ike. After the rollercoaster ride of its “raw recruit” season, the PWRT experienced a well-earned break in 2009. Then it went back into battle in 2010, responding to flooding in the Rio Grande Valley after Hurricane Alex.

After three years and many activations, the PWRT has created a lasting impact in Texas.

In the wake of Hurricane Ike,

a water/wastewater plant lies

submerged under flood waters.

First, PWRT’s members are no longer the new kids on the block, but are seasoned veterans and a valuable asset, which has earned the respect of both those they help and those with whom they work.

Pilar Rodriguez, P.E., McAllen Assistant City Manager/Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator and Hidalgo County PWRT Leader, put it into perspective. After Hurricane Alex, “Texas Task Force 1 [TEEX’s premier Urban Search and Rescue team] and PWRT have actually partnered together and tackled some issues during the Rio Grande flooding, for example. In the response arena, there’s no greater satisfaction than having members from Texas Task Force 1 come up to you and say, ‘Hey, let’s coordinate, let’s work together and let’s make this happen.’”

After Hurricane Alex, Rio Grande

River floodwaters threaten to

breach an 80-year-old irrigation

pump station near Pinetas, TX.

Second, PWRT provides valuable leadership in areas affected by a disaster. Ivan Langford is the Little Elm City Manager and a PWRT Leader whose team responded after Hurricane Ike to Galveston, Beaumont, and Orange County.

Langford explained, “The biggest thing we brought to the table was being able to get things in motion while the leadership of the community was a bit dazed. They could step back and let us step in and assess the damage and get things in motion. If you get in there fast and get things moving for them, then after they’ve had some rest, they’ll pick up the ball and move with it.”

Third, by reducing the time it takes for infrastructure to become operational again, PWRT plays a critical role in mitigating the massive revenue losses jurisdictions face after disaster strikes.

The city of Laredo, TX goes

underwater as the Rio Grande River

floods from torrential rains after

Hurricane Alex.

Pilar Rodriguez explained it this way: “I can’t tell you exactly how much, but I can tell you it was hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue [per day] that my jurisdiction was losing when the city was shut down. PWRT took our initial recovery estimates of weeks and turned them into days. So, that’s the kind of impact that PWRT has.”

Keith Wright, Lufkin Assistant City Manager and leader of a PWRT team that responded during Hurricane Dolly, had some strong final words on the significance of the PWRT concept. “If a state is not looking at trying to utilize the resources of their cities and counties, they’re making a big mistake. If they have any kind of event, whether it’s man-made or natural, and they’re looking at some type of response, they’re going to need all the resources they can get.”

Snapped like a twig, this downed

power pole bears witness to

Hurricane Ike’s devastating force.

The Texas PWRT boasts 180 members formed into 50 response teams from 55 jurisdictions. The assets behind all those numbers represent thousands of people and resources ready to help when disaster strikes.

To learn more about the PWRT, contact Tony Alotto (phone: 800-723-3811, e-mail: itsi@teexmail.tamu.edu) or visit www.teex.org/pwrt.

This blog is an excerpt of an article by Benson that appeared in the January 2011 APWA Reporter.

¹Jack Colley passed away May 16, 2010.

Guy Benson is Advertising Project Coordinator with the Infrastructure Training and Safety Institute, Texas Engineering Extension Service, College Station, Texas.

What can we do about bullying?

2011-04-26T11:56:00.004-05:00

Students as young as the fifth and sixth grade have started an ugly internet practice. By creating “HateX” facebook pages, they harass and bully students online. Sometimes it stops there. Sometimes it becomes a place to plan a physical attack on a student, which happened recently at a school in the area. During a class on the Thursday before spring break, this student was assaulted by several classmates. Were there warning signs? Yes. This wasn’t the first time he’d been picked on. Will the school take appropriate action? As a parent, I hope so.

What can you do as an individual to stop bullying and school violence, especially when it’s directed at your child or someone else’s child you know? Get involved. The courses at TEEX’s Center for School Safety and Security are low-cost and online and can be taken both by students and school administration, staff and faculty. There’s a one-hour course geared specifically for students in K-12 called Preventing Violence in Education: A Guide for Students. Not only does it show them the basic causes for violent behavior and the signals to watch for, but it also teaches them the way to report their concerns in a sensitive yet effective manner. There is also a half-hour course designed for college students with similar information entitled Preventing Violence in Higher Education. Both of these courses are only $5.00 per student. If you wanted to provide this course for your child or their class, e-tokens are available.

Preventing Violence in Education: A Guide for Faculty, Staff, and Administrators is a one-hour course designed for school administrators, faculty and staff. It contains the information from the student course with additional insight into the behavior patterns of potentially violent individuals, as well as the best course of action for defusing the threat they present to other students. Participants learn the costs associated with school violence, review their legal responsibility to provide a safe teaching environment, and learn the purpose and process of using a Threat Management Team to address potential and actual incidents. Parents can take this course to become more informed about possible school procedures, and can also purchase e-tokens to give to their children’s teachers and school administrators. It could be the 21st century's *apple* for the teacher!

Besides online training courses for individual students, faculty, staff and administrators, TEEX offers Project Protect, which prepares an entire school system to plan for, prevent and mitigate school violence. TEEX initiated Project Protect in 2005 in the schools in Laredo, Texas. Funded through a grant from the Texas Criminal Justice Division (CJD) in partnership with the Texas State University Center for Safe Schools and Communities, the program encompasses planning workshops, training courses, seminars and exercises designed for everyone in the school system: administrators, faculty, counselors, staff, students, nurses, school law enforcement, as well as local emergency responders. Currently, Project Protect is being implemented in three Texas school districts: Navasota, College Station, and Bryan. School districts can sign up for the entire package of nine classes, or pick just the course or courses that best suit their needs at the time.

Bullying has become a national issue. The whole nation responded this spring when President Obama and the First Lady opened up the White House to a Bullying Prevention seminar with a panel of experts with an online forum for questions and answers. You can visit http://1.usa.gov/fV5RmS for the White House blog and the opening remarks. The White House has also created a new website, Stopbullying.gov, that is filled with helpful tips and places to go for support. It also contains valuable information about where to go for help as well as how a child who is being threatened can report this behavior in a safe and sensitive environment.

For more information about school violence prevention and threat assessment and management, contact Customer Service, Public Safety & Security, 301 Tarrow, College Station, TX 77840-7896, or call toll-free 877-438-8877. You can also e-mail us at publicsafety@teexmail.tamu.edu or visit us on the web at teex.org/publicsafety. TEEX is here to help.

Heidi Duckworth Hard is a Communications Specialist for the Texas Engineering Extension Service as well as an interested parent. She welcomes all comments and suggestions at heidi.hard@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Our future's going to be a blast!

2011-03-28T16:05:00.006-05:00

For six years, we searched for a job that we could do together that would give us the freedom to travel and get paid to do something we both loved to do. We began researching careers as Unexploded Ordnance Technicians in the summer of 2010. We did our homework and picked the best UXO school – TEEX. A UXO company we checked with told us that companies will hire teams of husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, or brothers. We love to travel and be out-of-doors, hunting and fishing, or finding treasure with our metal detectors. So, we thought becoming UXO Technicians seemed to be the perfect job for us. Our children are grown, and we saw this as an adventure.

We arrived at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus in Bryan, Texas, on Jan. 24, 2011, to begin the TEEX Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Technician I course. It turned out to be a challenging, exhausting and exciting four weeks.

Perspectives on the Training

Evelyn’s Perspective: I’d worked as an Emergency Department Technician, and knew nothing about UXO. William had spent many years in the Army and knew a lot about munitions, so I figured he’d be the perfect study partner. But on the first day of class, I thought, “what have I gotten myself into?” I had no idea what a mortar, projectile, rifle or grenade was and …what was that fuze stuff all about? I felt like I was in a whirlwind. Fortunately, Instructor Ed Fritz taught on all levels. Plus, he cares if you succeed!

There was a lot of information to absorb and retain in a short period of time. The first two weeks were difficult, mostly classroom and bookwork. That meant going to class from 7:30 to 5:30, then studying for three to five hours every night. The stress level was extremely high. The third week was demo week. The fourth week, when we were working on the grid, was the light bulb moment. I understood! Everything came together and made sense. And the Number One safety message was MOVEMENT.

William’s perspective: Mentally, this was very challenging. The first two weeks were so condensed. You were force-fed a lot of information, and it was hard to see where they were going. We were warned not to try and memorize the munitions, but to learn the identifying parts (body, base and fuze). Plus there were a million other things we needed to know. Demo, equalizing potential, FIRE-IN-THE-HOLE … would it never stop? But by the end of the second week, it all began to fall into place. Ed and Phil Yeaman just kept pushing us. Thanks guys, the training was awesome!

Best parts of the UXO course

Evelyn:

My favorite part of the training was the start of the third week – half-way!– and then the fourth week, both of which were hands-on. The third week was demo week, and we got to blow stuff up. It was for real when I got to yell ‘Fire-in-the-hole.’ And I liked the last week we spent on the grid finding “treasure” or UXO, something that I love to do.

I am proud to be a graduate of TEEX Class #46. The training is excellent, and I left the school with confidence, knowing I have the knowledge to work as a UXO Tech 1. I feel that the training I received at TEEX was worth the money I paid.

William: I guess my favorite part was being able to do this with my best friend and wife. She never fails to keep me focused on the task at hand, even if it’s the dishes! Seriously, during this training, she and I sat beside each other in class, studied together (along with others in our study groups), walked, crawled, dug, sweat and almost cried together. Then we got to blow stuff up and then graduate together. It was great.

The instructors - Ed Fritz, Phil Yeaman and the demo week instructors - were very knowledgeable and never failed to help when asked. They made this a class to remember. Christy Robinett was the first voice we heard from TEEX and had answers to every question we had. My overall view of this experience is that I have never paid so much money to be so abused (Thanks, Ed) and learned so much.

The Future

At graduation, TEEX gave us a list of potential employers to contact and we’ve found others through some contacts on the TEEX Facebook page and UXO buddies. We’ve sent out resumes to 25+ companies and definitely want to get hired by the same company. We really want to go to work and use all that we learned at the TEEX UXO School.

We’d advise anyone who is seriously considering taking a UXO class to attend the TEEX UXO Tech 1 course. If life as a UXO Tech 1 is half as challenging and half as fun as this class has been, it will be an awesome life.

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William and Evelyn Turbeville are graduates of the TEEX UXO Technician I program, Class #46. They are currently applying for UXO Tech I positions in the United States.

Ever want to drive a fire truck?

2011-02-28T11:38:00.005-06:00

CEO Gary Sera in the FireSim™ driving simulator.

Recently, I did something pretty amazing – I got to take the TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute’s (ESTI) new driving simulator out for a spin. While this is a serious mobile training tool, it’s actually a lot of fun to drive. And that’s important to today’s students, who are used to video games and computers with lots of fast-paced visual and audio feedback. This simulator, which was purchased with a grant from FEMA, allows TEEX to stay on top of new technology and gives our students something that not only helps them learn new skills, but lets them have a good time while they’re doing it. There is no rule that says that training can’t be fun, even when it’s a serious subject.

Photos by Justine Schmider, article at http://bit.ly/hnaRTt.

Driving accidents are the second highest cause of death for firefighters. You know what it’s like when you’re the driver of a car or truck and you hear the sirens and see the flashing lights behind you. Things get very chaotic. Now, put yourself in the actual seat of the fire truck driver. They are trying to get to the scene of the incident, but there are a variety of vehicles in front of them. Some of them are trying to get out of the driver’s way, and some of them are trying to rush through the intersection so that they won’t have to wait. In essence, it is a very, very dangerous situation.

The MPRI FireSim™ driving simulator provides a virtual “hands-on” experience and can measure driver performance. In this risk-free environment with simulated situations covering roads with potholes, city and rural areas, flat tires, a variety of weather conditions and more, drivers can enhance their driving and decision-making skills for real-life situations. An instructor can remotely control the vehicles and pedestrians entering from side streets and intersections as well, adding even more challenges. We house the simulator on a 32’ trailer so that it can be taken across the state of Texas whenever and wherever training is needed.

TEEX’s extension training mission is very important to us. The state of Texas is huge, and we need to be able to get out and engage our customers where they are and take workforce training to them. It saves them money and improves their ability to get new jobs or enhance their skills. We have a variety of mobile training units, including ESTI’s new driving simulator.

Our Infrastructure Training and Safety Institute has Water and Wastewater trailers that can travel to places like the Colonias in the Rio Grande Valley or into deep west Texas for hands-on training in laboratory techniques, pump operations, valve and hydrant maintenance, and backflow prevention assembly testing.

There is also a confined space entry mobile training unit where employees learn first-hand how to perform confined space entry safely under a variety of scenarios, while complying with OSHA and other safety standards.

Public Safety & Security (PS&S) has a Forensic Science trailer that allows us to conduct specialized law enforcement extension training in forensic science across the state. And I don’t want to leave out our search and rescue training – we transport our swift water rescue boats to San Marcos to conduct hands-on training on the Comal River.

But our mobile training units and trailers are just one way we carry out our mission of extension training, technical assistance and emergency response. Our instructors are on the road every day – traveling more than 1.6 million miles a year – to take our first-rate training to every corner of Texas, saving companies and communities time and money. And our new driving simulator is just the latest example of how we’re always looking for new technologies and innovative, cost-effective ways to bring our training to you!

Gary Sera is the CEO of Texas Engineering Extension Service, and he invites your comments.

Texas Fire School - A Student's Perspective by Bobby Brown

2011-02-18T13:34:00.009-06:00

My name is Joe Average Student and this is my story.

It’s Saturday in late July around noon as I step off the plane in Houston. I have traveled the two hours from Atlanta on my very first airplane flight. It was a little scary to begin with, but it turned out to be rather exciting. If I hadn’t been the middle seat in a 900 pound sandwich, I may have enjoyed it more. I have to remember to fire my travel agent when I get home.

At the baggage claim area, I gather up my luggage and my firefighting gear bag that seems to weigh 300 pounds. You mean I have to lug this huge bag around all week? As I step out of the terminal to catch the rental car bus, the heat smacks me in the face like a jealous girlfriend. Whoever told me this was supposed to be a ‘dry’ heat should be here today. An oven is dry heat too, but that doesn’t mean I want to sit my fat butt in one. The sign on the bus said the outside temperature is 105 degrees. It may be hotter here than in Georgia.

We get our rental car and make the 2 hour drive from Houston to College Station. Since it is my first time in Texas, I half-seriously think to myself ‘Where are all the tumble weeds, cactus, and gunslingers?’ Must be more west of here.

College Station is bigger than I thought it would be. Nice restaurants are all around. We check in our hotel and start ‘hydrating’ as our Chief had preached to us the entire month before we came out here. He also said “You must hydrate with water, beer doesn’t count!”

Saturday evening is a free night for us so we go to a popular steakhouse where the smallest steak is two pounds. Of course, one of the guys with us (7 of us in all) decides he will be the macho man and order the LARGEST steak on the menu which is a whopping 5 pounds and could easily feed a small country. His comes out on a platter the size of a lid from a 55 gallon drum. The rest of us order the small T-bone and finish long before he does. I’m sitting directly across the table from him and surely in the line of fire should he accidentally decide to “unswallow.” But he manages to eat the whole thing and keep it down. Now he suffers from some sort of meat poisoning (not a real thing, I don’t think) causing his stomach to swell and ache. Did he not see that coming? He will definitely regret it later, especially given the half bottle of hot sauce he used.

Sunday morning we get up and have a late breakfast (except the goober that ate the 5 pound steak. His stomach still hurts along with other things) then we head over to the Brayton Fire Training Field to register for our classes. There we get a student manual that’s about 6 inches thick. I have to know all this stuff by Friday? And I have another 50 pounds to lug around with my 300 pound gear bag? There’s also talk of a test. Crap. I forgot about the test.

Oh yeah, and we hydrate. With water.

Sunday night back at the hotel, we grab a light dinner then off to our separate rooms to bed. Nervous and sleepless, I lie there thinking what is tomorrow going to be like? What have I gotten myself in to? I’ve heard some great stories about this training and some horror stories too. I toss and turn, but finally get settled down and relaxed. Crap, now I have to pee.

Monday morning arrives very early. With barely any sleep, we all grab breakfast and hydrate. We arrive at the fire field by 6:30 a.m. to get a decent parking spot. Lugging our gear, we assemble for an orientation in the fire station. After the National Anthem, all the students break up into groups or sections of about 16-20 people each. In my section are all of my coworkers and 10 firefighters from other industries that I don’t know. All together there are about 800 students here and about 150 instructors. This is the biggest and greatest fire training school in the world. It is so huge it seems about the size of Disney World. But there’s nothing Mickey Mouse about this place.

As we walk onto the field we see the Instructor Memorial Wall and flowers. Engraved on the large walls are all the instructor’s names at this school that have passed away over the years. Numerous students and instructors stop by to read the names on the wall and pay their respects. It is evident that this is a very special and emotional spot on this fire field.

As we arrive at our first fire project, we get to know our fellow firefighters in our section from other industries. We introduce ourselves, share a little about our background and fire experience. You start to think to yourself, “How good are these guys? Should I be intimidated? Can I trust them?” The two guys sitting next to me don’t even speak English. Um, I’m not really sure, but I don’t think that is a good thing.

The Instructors begin the class with the lecture about the project and I quickly realize these instructors are the real deal. They are experienced and know what they are talking about. They are from all over the world and have seen and heard a lot. They describe the importance of safety on the field and the heat related issues, such as staying hydrated. They say the fires will be very large and as long as we work together as a team we can put them out.

Rumors quickly traveled the field that, already this morning, some rookie firefighters from a foreign country watched as the first fire was lit, then screamed some unintelligible gibberish and ran off the field because they were shocked and frightened out of their minds (we later found out, it wasn’t a rumor at all, it was a fact).

My stomach is now turning flips and making strange sounds. I’m not sure if it is nerves or that three-cheese, three-egg omlette I had for breakfast.

Ok, here we go. The talking is over. We get geared up and ready to go. My heart is thumping out of my chest. This project, or prop as they call it, is three stories tall with 100 ft. columns on each end and pumps and valves everywhere. The instructor lights the fuel which seems to be leaking from every single nut and bolt out there. The flames roar and shoot about 300 feet into the air with smoke rising an additional 300 ft. higher. More fires erupt at other props behind me, and all around me. I look around and the whole fire field is on fire. The whole state of Texas seems to be on fire. Stupid me, I forget to put my face-shield down and the heat from the flames stings my face and is unbearable. Red-faced for two reasons, I quickly flip it down and get ready.

Bobby Brown is the center firefighter in this photo of the Industrial School 2009.

It’s only 7:30 a.m. and I’m pouring sweat already. 'HYDRATE' they said, now I see why. I’ve got the nozzle in my hand and two of my coworker firefighters are backing me up on our hose line. In all there are 8 hose lines ready to advance on this fire. With flames everywhere, and pressurized propane leaking so loud you can’t think, my line Instructor shouts “OK! Get ready to go upstairs!” Wait, What?!? Did he say “GO UPSTAIRS?” There’s fire everywhere up there and we are going up into it? You've got to be kidding!

Courtesy of Vegas.com

Thoughts of all the things I’ve never had a chance to do in my life go through my mind. I’ve never been to Hawaii. I’ve never owned a trampoline. I’ve never rode a bull, been parachuting, or even seen a fainting goat in person. I've never seen Elvis live in concert. Now I’m not going to get the chance to do any of them.

As all hose teams advance in, the lower level ground fire is quickly under control with foam (but not completely out). We start up the stairs, and I’m thinking, shouldn’t that fire be all the way out before we go up? Are we sure we have enough water? Can’t we stay on the ground? Does anybody want to change places? This is a mighty small stream of water I’ve got here and there’s a lot of fire ahead of me. As we top the stairs, there is fire in all directions. Like a large flame-thrower, a stream of fire knifes straight toward us. My water nozzle pattern holds it back…so far. Thank God for water.

The instructor yells at me to do something, but I can’t hear him because of all the high pressure fires leaking from all these valves. There must be 50 valves leaking. He makes eye contact with me and signals me to step closer. Wait, what? CLOSER? Is this guy insane? If I get any closer I’m gonna be the largest flame broiled steak in Texas. My shoulders are already getting very hot through my bunker coat. Another hose team line has come upstairs to assist us. I look over at them and steam is rising off their jackets. This is getting a little unnerving. The instructor yells again for us to move closer to the leaking valve.

So, we start to move in closer…but…we don’t move. Wait, are my legs and feet locked up? Am I losing my composure right here in front of everybody? Did I just pee myself? No, it appears we have run out of hose. I look back down towards the ground and see that our hose has become tangled and kinked. On top of everything else, we are now losing water pressure. Does anyone else smell something burning? Are my eyebrows on fire?

On the ground, a firefighter rushes to our hose to untangle it. Our lives are depending on him. It seems like an eternity. Man, please hurry. Oh no…Isn’t that one of the guys who doesn’t speak English? We are toast, he will never understand what we need. But, proving me completely wrong, just in the nick of time, as the fire starts to break through our water pattern, he gets our hose un-kinked and our water pressure restored. He did it. He signals up a thumbs-up and I give him the thumbs-up back…thank you man, thank you. Hmm…In the midst of disaster, I guess you don’t have to speak the same language to work together, huh?

Back to the problem at hand. We move in closer to capture and control the flames with our water pattern. Closer now, we position our water spray pattern on the leaking flange to capture it and allow just the valve handle to be exposed so the instructor can make the closure. Be very still. Don’t move a muscle. One wrong move now and we are crispy memories. Flames are on both sides of my water pattern begging to get to us. Finally, the instructor has the valve closed and the leak is depressuring.

It gets a little quieter. I look over at the team next to us and they are making a valve closure. On the deck below us, several more valve closures are taking place. I look around and all the fires are finally out. We all worked together and extinguished all these fires. WOW, that was intense! We cool down the area for hot spots.

Carefully we back down the stairs, and with everyone on the ground floor, we roll up all the hoses and clean up. There’s high fives all around and appreciation everywhere. Everyone is proud and we all have a sense of accomplishment. Our confidence level just went up 100 percent. THAT was really fun! We take our gear off and grab some water, hydrate, and take a short break. Now it’s time to move to the next project.

OK, we made it through hour number one. Only seven more hours and four more days to go.

Instructor 1081 Exterior,
Industrial School

Originally posted by Bobby Brown on his blog, Wet Stuff on the Red Stuff on Sunday, January 30, 2011. Bobby has participated as a guest instructor at the Industrial Fire School. Our thanks to him for his permission to use this blog on our site.

TEEX + FACTS = CSI at The Body Farm

2011-02-03T08:44:00.114-06:00

December in Texas can be as hot as summer or as cold as Nebraska. This December day had clear blue skies, a pleasant cool temperature of about 50 degrees, and just a slight breeze. The winding paved road into Texas State University’s Freeman Ranch took me past horses grazing under the trees, over three cattle guards, and across several nature trails.

When I parked, goats were butting heads in a pen behind the building. It was a gorgeous drive in, full of signs of life. “It’s the most peaceful ride to work you can have,” said Kyra Stull, my guide for the day. Kyra is the Forensic Anthropology Center Coordinator. She and Dr. Michelle Hamilton are both with the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University (FACTS). FACTS has a 26-acre outdoor human decomposition research laboratory at the ranch, also known as "the body farm.”

They are hosting Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and Texas Forensic Science Academy (TFSA)’s pilot course Skeletal Death Investigation. This forty-hour course has two days of classroom lab instruction followed by three days outside at the body farm. This provides opportunities to those responsible for death investigations, including cold cases dealing with skeletal remains, to have hands-on training like never before. It is also one of the required courses for the Forensic Investigator II certificate, one of three certificates available through the TFSA.

I was meeting Kyra to visit the body farm and the class. She and a student picked me up, and we drove to their section of the ranch. It was heavily fenced and gated. The students had been divided into two groups of five, and each group had a site to excavate.

The purpose of this course: to teach the archeological techniques to recover the remains and preserve all contextual, physical and anecdotal evidence. As Kyra put it, “There is a lot of evidence within the skeletal features alone, and you need to preserve it … not jeopardize it.” The students are to excavate and recover the remains, ensuring they leave no evidence undocumented or behind. Sometimes, Dr. Hamilton explained, that means it is brought up “element by element,” or else in a whole piece which is then broken down in the lab on campus for examination.

This is not the scene of a Hollywood CSI investigation team. This is a quiet recovery site, hidden in the tall grass, where men and women have been painstakingly digging, sifting, brushing, and marking the placement of these remains for two days. And they have one more day to go. Wearing protective shoe coverings and gloves to guard against the contamination, these police officers and investigators are learning how to do it the right way—the hard way. This work is back-breaking, labor intensive and methodical. These students are taking a skill and applying it to enhance criminal investigations, all for the citizens they serve. The bodies, privately donated to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State, are handled with care, respect and dignity.

Although we may never experience this type of tragedy and loss, training like this is important to all of us. It is so important that TEEX started the Texas Forensic Science Academy in 2007 to offer comprehensive, hands-on forensic training to help improve the criminal justice system. Participants are able to complete one or two classes needed to develop new skills or earn one of several TFSA certificates. Each certificate provides those responsible for crime scene investigations with the experience necessary to properly collect and preserve evidence at the scene and present that evidence in a court of law. TEEX is also proud to announce that all of the courses offered by TFSA have been approved by the International Association for Identification (IAI) as continuing education for Crime Scene Certification.

FACTS is one of very few human cadaver remains laboratories in the United States and is a perfect partner for the Forensic Science Academy. Operating since 2008, the body farm also studies active decomposition as well as skeletal decomposition. This follows the intent of the founders of the 4,000-acre Freeman ranch, who left the land to Texas State University with the express wish that it be used for research. Today the research covers four different disciplines: biology, agriculture, geography, and anthropology.

TEEX is one of the largest providers of workforce and emergency preparedness and response training in the nation. The Texas Forensic Science Academy was the fortunate recipient of a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant and is now able to offer tuition-free courses throughout Texas through 2012 to non-military state (Texas) or local personnel whose duties relate to investigative tasks or responsibilities. Contact the Texas Forensic Science Academy (TFSA) for more information or call 800-423-8433 toll-free.

Heidi Duckworth Hard is a Communications Specialist and blogs for the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). She welomes your comments and ideas at heidi.hard@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Taking Safety Training to Azerbaijan

2011-01-03T09:57:00.130-06:00

We all know the old conundrum. You need experience to get a job, but you have to have a job to get experience. Ruslan Jafarov couldn't find a job in the HSE (Health, Safety and Environmental) industry in Azerbaijan. He graduated from Azerbaijan State Oil Academy in 2007 with a B.S. in HSE. After serving his required time in the military, he looked for a job as an HSE Specialist. There were none available, and the jobs that would use his training had very low salaries. So Ruslan did what any enterprising young man would do--he found a way to use his skills and make a decent wage at the same time.

Photo courtesy of BakuPhotos.com.

Before going the university, Ruslan worked for Halliburton as a transportation coordinator teaching safe driving skills to expatriate employees and their families. This time he got a job with British Petroleum (BP) driving Silverio Garcia, an engineer with the company. And Ruslan's luck changed for the better, because Silverio Garcia and his wife Debbie had a plan. They saw that Ruslan had a lot of potential, and they could make a difference.

Photo courtesy of Silverio Garcia.

Ruslan Jafarov is highly self-motivated. Plus, he is intelligent, enthusiastic, and really wants to help his family. Shortly after meeting him, the Garcia's started working with him to try and help him reach his goal of obtaining a job in the HSE industry. Silverio spent days on the computer doing research, and Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and Texas A&M University kept coming up. So early in 2010, he and Ruslan came to visit our facilities. After speaking with Mark Jackson and Nikki Winder, and getting a tour of the grounds, Ruslan said, "Before coming here, Mr. Garcia had told me that I needed to think big, that the school was big, that the program was big and that the opportunity was big; but I never could have imagined that it was THIS BIG!" He enrolled that day.

Ruslan arrived back in College Station at the end of March and started the three month TEEX Fire Recruit Academy on April 5. And Ruslan is not afraid of hard work. He continued taking classes one after another, only taking a week or two off, until he finished on November 19. One of his favorite classes was the OIL200 Fresh Water Oil Spill Control class—because it was hands-on, and he got to learn by doing. "It was hard, but it was fun," he commented.

Ruslan was able to complete four Certified Safety and Health Official ^TM (CSHO) certificates in a short amount of time: Oil & Gas and Petrochemical, Oil & Gas and Petrochemical – Drilling and Well Services, Oil & Gas and Petrochemical – Pipeline, and Oil & Gas and Petrochemical - Refinery. In fact, he is among a small group of people who have four CSHOs. TEEX was the perfect place to give Ruslan the professional training that would help him be an asset to any company.

Photo courtesy of BakuPhotos.com.

After completing his last class, Ruslan headed for Azerbaijan to interview with some companies in the Oil and Petroleum field. We are looking forward to great things from him.

TEEX offers the CSHO program to safety professionals in private industry and government agencies. Since the program was initiated in 1998, more than 1,500 safety professionals have earned the TEEX CSHO certificate, with an additional 1,000 working toward completion of the certificate program. The TEEX CSHO is recognized by the Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists and now earns 18 hours of college credit towards a fully accredited, affordable online degree program.

TEEX is one of the largest providers of workforce and emergency response training in the nation. A member of The Texas A&M University System, TEEX provides training, exercises and technical assistance to more than 194,000 people each year from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and 56 countries.

A Christmas Message From TEEX Director Gary Sera

2010-12-23T14:09:00.012-06:00

Seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating the new millennium. Yet, here we are about to enter into its second decade. The world has changed in many ways during this time, and some debate whether it’s for better or for worse. Social networking is here to stay, with today's youth now strongly identifying and connecting through this medium. The term Green now means something more than money—it’s a sustainable way to contribute to your bottom line. Finally, we have an economy that is about as fickle as it can be. It seems to be getting better, but then lingers on like a bad cold that doesn’t want to go away.

What always seems to be a refreshing constant is the spirit of this season. This is the time when friends and family can share peace and love, and where the world seems to slow down. It is a time when we can all actually say, “Let's wait until next year to work on that.” We can all actually take a deep breath as we prepare to soar into the New Year with new hope and renewed energy. Here is wishing you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.

Gary Sera is director of the Texas Engineering Extension Service and invites your comments.

TEEX Holiday Safety 2010

2010-12-21T07:06:00.001-06:00

For many of us, today is the last official day of work in 2010. The Aggies have already left College Station, and many of us will travel for the holidays. With this in mind, please take a moment to review these holiday travel tips.

Whether traveling by car or air, rule number one is to allow extra time for the journey. Plan to avoid the heaviest travel times, if at all possible. If driving in wintry conditions, carry a road emergency kit including flares, a blanket, a first aid kit, water and snacks. A small shovel is also handy to have, and kitty litter works well under the wheels to increase traction.

Sometimes we forget how international TEEX has become. My safety note early in December stressed winter driving safety. Our instructors in Abu Dhabi responded, saying they anticipate no cold weather driving problems, but sand storms and camel collisions are at an all time high. So, slow down for reduced visibility and traffic, whether it’s sand or snow, cars or camels.

If you have children under 13, the best place for them is in the back seat of the car. Everyone on board should ride upright, without leaning against the doors or dash. Never allow anyone to ride unrestrained. Defensive driving is the key. And because State Highway 6 truly does run both ways, take your time and stay in your lane.

If traveling by air, children under 40 pounds should be in an FAA-approved child safety seat. Again, give yourselves plenty of time for check-in and security screening. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring activities to keep everyone occupied during the flight. Further air-travel tips can be found at TSA’s Holiday Travel Website.

It’s also good to have health insurance information available when traveling, just in case it’s needed.

Christmas also brings some unique and beautiful safety hazards. These include the Christmas tree, indoor and outdoor lighting, and decorations. Don’t place your tree too close to heaters or air vents. The vents can dry out the tree and turn it into fuel. Don’t put it up too early or leave it up too late, and make sure you keep the tree stand full of water at all times.

Inspect your holiday lights for frayed or bare spots in the insulation, and do not overload electrical outlets. Wires should not be warm when you touch them. Don’t leave Christmas lights illuminated and unattended.

This video is a great example of how quickly a dry Christmas Tree can burn.

Decorations should be non-combustible or flame resistant. Never use lighted candles to decorate a tree. And, place all other decorative candles where they won’t be knocked over by people or pets.

Remember to remove wrapping paper, bags, ribbons and bows from the tree and fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can cause a fire if near an open flame. Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace as this can cause chimney fires.

If there will be small children in the home, avoid decorations that are sharp, breakable or have removable parts because they are a choking hazard. Avoid decorations that resemble candy or food.

Toys should be appropriate for the child’s age, and toys requiring access to an electrical outlet should be avoided for children under age 10. As with the decorations, avoid small toys that could pose a choking hazard, as well as deflated or broken balloons, strings and ribbons.

It’s also important to remember food safety over the holidays. On the never-ending buffet, foods requiring refrigeration should never be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Raw foods MUST be washed and fully cooked. Be sure to keep hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables where they can be easily knocked over by a child or your clumsy uncle. Wash your hands frequently, and if cooking, don’t double dip!

We’re posting and tweeting safety tips as well as other TEEX news on our Facebook & Twitter Pages. You can also find Safety Links on the TEEX Website.

Travel safely, have a great holiday and we’ll see you in 2011.

Charley Todd is the associate agency director for the Texas Engineering Extension Service.

TEEX Wounded Warrior - Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Demonstration

2010-11-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

Center for the Intrepid

Recently, TEEX Public Safety and Security (PS&S) received an interesting call from Wendy Foster, a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Center for the Intrepid. Located at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, the center is a rehabilitation facility for amputees and burn victims of the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.

Wendy has helped scores of our nation’s Wounded Warriors. One of her current clients was interested in pursuing a vocation taught by our PS&S division, but his disability presented some questions.

In 2006, Army Staff Sergeant Tyler Sloan was shot by a sniper in Mosul, Iraq. Damaged nerves in his right foot required its amputation. Sloan, a tall, good-looking young man was getting along well with his prosthesis. He was considering several possible new vocations, including underwater welding and flying, as well as searching for and destroying unexploded ordnance. TEEX offers a 4-week unexploded ordnance (UXO) technician course that not only fit Sloan well, but also qualified for Veteran’s Administration funding.

There was a potential problem, though. The primary tool of unexploded ordnance technician is a metal detector, and the ferrous metals in prosthetic limbs were thought to interfere with the devices.

Training Coordinator and former Naval EOD Technician, Ed Fritz, who oversees TEEX’s UXO program, felt that Tyler might be a good subject to test the interference theory. If there was none, or if it could be mitigated, then an appropriate vocation could open up for many of our returning veterans with prostheses.

On November 18, Tyler made the short drive from San Antonio to Texas A&M University’s Riverside Campus, home of the program. Fritz and Sloan spent some of the day together working with the metal detector on the TEEX UXO grid.

On the following day, representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, Veterans Administration, unexploded ordnance industry’s certifying organization, and private industry converged on Riverside to witness a demonstration.

Wendy and Tyler explained his primary prosthetic, which was chosen for the day because it had the highest number of metal parts and was most likely to cause interference. Ed Fritz then briefed the group on the metal detector and the possible interference issues.

The party then moved to the UXO training area. Sloan slowly began to work in the sand grid, a 100 feet x 100 feet area full of various unexploded munitions. Using the detector, Sloan discovered several pieces of ordnance, including a land mine. As photographers circled and the group watched from a distance, Sloan confidently made his way through the field. He demonstrated not only his ability to find the ordnance, but the physical dexterity needed to dig it out of the ground.

Back at the Public Safety and Security division’s headquarters, the official observer group was careful not to state an official opinion. However, everyone's mood reflected the apparently successful demonstration. Once again, TEEX brought together government and industry to help our citizens. As long as there are Wounded Warriors, hopefully, we’ll see more and more of them in the Brazos Valley.

Tyler's Landmine

For more information on TEEX’s Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Technician course, visit the UXO website or contact Ed Fritz at 979-862-3410.

For more information on the Center for the Intrepid and the Fallen Heroes Fund, please visit the Fallen Heroes Fund website.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for theTexas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

TEEX Director Gary Sera Discusses Green Rural Economic Development

2010-11-04T11:31:00.001-05:00

The more things change ... the more they stay the same. Those of you who were around in the late 1970's may remember the oil embargo and the line of cars waiting to fill up their tanks at the local gas station. At the time, I happened to be working my way through college in one of those gas stations. As gas became more and more expensive, people starting looking at smaller, more fuel efficient cars. Energy conservation became a big deal as home owners started insulating their homes, sealing their windows and adjusting their thermostats. Then a funny thing happened. Oil prices dropped, and then the only people who were still looking at energy efficiency were those “weirdos” who had nothing better to do.

Some years later the Valdez oil spill occurred, and guess what? We all became environmentally conscious again, going through another cycle of energy conservation and recycling. Can you see the pattern? Over the years, we have been trained to associate “green” behavior with negative events: oil embargoes, wars, oil spills, global warming, etc, etc, etc.

I think we have learned our lesson. Now is our chance to be proactive about Green energy and development. I am very excited to present our Growing Green Communities Initiative. This is about the positives associated with behaving in an environmentally friendly manner. It is about businesses being more successful and more profitable. It is about people being healthier. It is about leaving our future generations the resources they need to be healthy and happy. Through a series of conferences and workshops, people from throughout the country will be sharing ideas and best practices about how we can all benefit from thinking and behaving Green. We will learn that it is good business to be Green. We will learn that going Green is not complicated; it is simple. Plus, we will find out that it is interesting. And, dare I say it, fun.

As we travel throughout the state (our first conference is in Odessa, Texas, on Dec. 1-2), we’ll be keeping you updated on the latest ideas, techniques, and information that will help your business, your community, and your bottom line.

To stay tuned to our Growing Green Initiative, visit any of these sites, where we are updating information daily:

Growing Green Communities Website

Growing Green Communities on Facebook

Growing Green Communities on Twitter

Growing Green Communities Blog

I look forward to seeing you in Odessa!

Gary Sera is director of the Texas Engineering Extension Service and invites your comments.

Growing Green - Sustainable Rural Development for Texas

2010-10-14T15:51:00.033-05:00

The Texas Engineering Extension Service's (TEEX) Knowledge Engineering division has always been the “go-to” group in Texas to help spur economic growth. They’ve helped several Texas towns and cities bring new businesses and jobs to their areas. So it was no surprise when Knowledge Engineering was chosen to provide a statewide education program on sustainable and green economic development opportunities for rural and economically distressed areas of Texas.

Named Growing Green, the program’s goal is to increase awareness of green economic development and job creation opportunities among small businesses, entrepreneurs, economic developers and local leaders.

Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), TEEX and Growing Green will conduct a series of informational conferences and training sessions. The funding is part of the EDA’s Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund, which is intended to foster green development by promoting economic competitiveness while enhancing environmental quality. These events will bring the latest knowledge and technical expertise on sustainable development practices to rural Texas.

In preparation for the conferences, TEEX formed an advisory council of Texas economic advisers and industry leaders to shape the conference’s message. Through the council and other affiliations, Growing Green Communities will partner and collaborate with the business community, universities, state and federal agencies, trade associations, workforce boards, and local government and non-governmental organizations that promote green economic development.

Some of these partners/collaborators include:

University of Texas - San Antonio Small Business Development Center and SBDC Networks
Texas Association of Regional Councils
Texas General Land Office
State Energy Conservation Office
Texas Department of Agriculture
Greater East Texas Community Development Corp.

TEEX’s Knowledge Engineering division has also established a website, GrowingGreenCommunities.com, to provide information about each conference as well as information about the program, sponsors, exhibitors and our advisory council.

The first conference is planned for the Permian Basin area on Dec. 1-2, 2010, at the MCM Grande Hotel & Fun Dome in Odessa, Texas. Growing Green attendees will hear from federal and state agencies with programs and assistance opportunities for targeted rural communities. The conference agenda, as well as hotel and speaker information, is available at the Growing Green Communities website, where you’ll also find a secure online registration system for your convenience.

Other possible conference locations through 2012 include Aransas Pass, New Braunfels and the Texas Panhandle. We’ll update Growing Green Communities as more information becomes available so that you can make plans to join us.

In addition to the website and conference series, you can keep up with Growing Green Communities through the Growing Green Communities blog. There, we’ll update you on conference details, speakers and exhibitors as the information becomes available. We’re also updating our facebook fan page, and twitter account daily, where we post the latest green economic development, energy and employment news.

Disaster City® Volunteer Program

2010-09-24T07:14:00.020-05:00

I’ve written a lot recently about Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1). The Task Force is based out of College Station and is sponsored by the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a member of The Texas A&M University System. They train at TEEX’s Disaster City®, our 52-acre training facility, which is a mock community featuring full-scale, collapsible structures designed to simulate various levels of disaster and wreckage, and is customizable for the specific training needs of any group. Emergency responders worldwide visit Disaster City® for unparalleled search and rescue training at the most comprehensive emergency response training facility available today.

A key ingredient of the training at Disaster City is realism, including the chaos and disorganization provided by victims. To this end, in 2006 the TEEX Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Division began recruiting from the surrounding communities and found an incredible group of volunteers to assist with US&R training and large-scale exercises. Disaster City® volunteers help give authenticity to the chaos, making exercises conducted at Disaster City® some of the most comprehensive and true-to-life in the world. Without the volunteer program, TX-TF1 and students training in Disaster City® wouldn’t be able to experience dealing with live victims that have realistic injuries and the emotions that accompany them.

To ensure the closest to real-world training, the division seeks volunteers from all walks of life, age groups and occupations. On a typical exercise you’ll find students from Texas A&M University and Blinn College, community groups such as the Boy Scouts and church groups, homemakers, retirees, spouses and emergency response students. Disasters aren’t choosy, and all volunteers are welcome.

Examples of disaster scenarios that volunteers participate in include:

Aftermath of a train wreck involving the derailment a 7-car passenger train
The collapse of an office building and parking garage
Entrapment in a collapsed wooden building that was destroyed by a tornado
Exposure to a chemical accident or chemical attack
Contamination by a biological weapon or dirty bomb
Injury at the bottom of a river bank after a flood
Entrapment and injury in a collapsed strip mall

Some volunteer opportunities in Disaster City® require the use of makeup to give victims the appearance they are injured. For this, they use special effects makeup (also called "moulage") such as fake blood, burns, cuts, broken bones, and other techniques to give the scenario a high level of realism.

Animal lovers are also offered a unique opportunity to participate in the Disaster Canine Search Program. There, volunteers get a chance to meet and interact with the canine handlers and search and rescue dogs. There are also opportunities to assist with Canine Evaluations that are periodically hosted at the facility.

As a recent volunteer, I can tell you first-hand that helping with the training is fun stuff. All volunteers are encouraged to act the part – yell for help, scream, cry in agony, plead to be rescued first, ask for water and food or beg for pain medication. If you are more interested in letting someone else act like the hysterical family member, they have other emotional conditions available as well. All of these scenarios are designed to simulate the situations that responders face during an actual incident, and they rely on volunteers to help induce urgency and stress to the training exercises.

For many, the greatest reward is knowing that they did their part helping to prepare responders from Texas, the nation and the world. In addition, Disaster City® volunteers are recognized in various ways for their service and commitment to the program:

Certificate of Appreciation – Every volunteer will receive a certificate for each attendance, signifying that you have donated valuable time and energy in Disaster City® working to support Texas Task Force 1.
Disaster City® & TX-TF1 Coffee Mug – This large coffee mug, with the Disaster City® and Texas Task Force 1 logos, is perfect for that big cup of eye-opening java needed to get your volunteer day started, and perfect to show off at the office or during a late night study session with classmates. This gift is for someone who has volunteered three different shifts.
Disaster City® long-sleeve T-shirt – This one-of-a-kind T-shirt is only available for Disaster City® volunteers and will let everyone know that you have helped train US&R teams in Disaster City®. This gift is for someone who has volunteered six different shifts.
Disaster City® Challenge Coin – This rare 1½-inch coin is only given to volunteers who have demonstrated a dedicated commitment to the Disaster City® Volunteer Program. Be sure to carry the coin with you at all times, because at any time you could be challenged by a Task Force member or fellow volunteer. This gift is for someone who has volunteered nine different shifts.

Although volunteers are working in and around broken concrete, collapsed structures, train wrecks and damaged buildings, everyone’s safety is paramount. Volunteers will be be crawling on top of rubble, climbing into collapsed buildings, and getting a little dusty. All volunteers are tracked on a log so that we know your location at all times. Plus, volunteers are surrounded by some of the most qualified safety, rescue and medical personnel in the world.

Interested? Training and exercises take place in Disaster City® year-round. There are several ways to stay informed and register for volunteer opportunities. First, fill out the TEEX Volunteer Subscription Page to receive timely e-mails about volunteer opportunities. If you are on Facebook, join the Disaster City® Volunteer Program Group Page. Here you’ll not only see updates on upcoming training, but you’ll also see feedback left by other volunteers. You can also visit the Disaster City® Volunteer Program Website for further information and photos.

If you represent a group, or just want more specific information, contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Brian Smith at Brian.Smith@teexmail.tamu.edu, or call 979-458-0857.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

National Preparedness Month

2010-09-10T13:32:00.055-05:00

Tropical Storm Hermine

September is National Preparedness Month, and right on schedule, our planet demonstrated how important it is to Have a Plan. On Tuesday, Sept. 7, just before 11 a.m., warning systems advised the College Station locations of the Texas A&M University System of a possible tornado in south College Station, and ordered everyone to seek shelter immediately. Texas A&M also activated its Code Maroon alert system, moving over 70,000 students, faculty and staff to interior stairwells and basements. I also know that throughout the area, parents began calling and texting schools, worried about their children.

I was reminded that even with the best training and planning, there can be confusion at the onset of an emergency, further emphasizing the importance of having a plan for you, your family and your workplace.

There are three important steps we can all take to be prepared for an emergency.

Make a Plan

Because your family may not be together in an emergency, it’s important to plan how you’ll contact each other, and how to get back together.

When thinking about communicating during an emergency: Have an out-of town contact. Many times long-distance communications work when local communications have failed.

Make sure everyone in your family knows that contact number and has a cell phone, coins or a pre-paid phone card to make the call.
Have some that are too young to remember the number? Make sure that your children’s school or daycare has your information as well. Find out what their procedure is for emergencies. Make sure that you are on their emergency list, whether it is by phone, e-mail or text, so that you are informed. Plus, find out where they will post information for early pickup--local television station? Radio? Not all schools have a plan in place about how to contact parents, so be proactive.
Make text-messaging an important tool. Many times text messages will get through when phone calls can’t. Texting is new to many. Have your children teach you how to text.
Identify and use your local emergency alert systems. Although many towns still have siren systems, family members should subscribe to any emergency alert system available. Public alert certified weather radios can be purchased locally or online and can be kept in your home. Texas A&M has a Code Maroon system which uses SMS to notify students, faculty and staff of emergencies affecting the flagship campus. Twitter also has become an alert system lately, with the ability to transmit alerts to mobile devices from Code Maroon, as well as police departments, fire departments, and other government organizations.

Visit TEEX’s Emergency Preparedness Webpage for more information on planning and links to the Online Family Emergency Planning Tool.

Have a Basic Emergency Supply Kit

It’s very important to have the supplies to take care of your family for a short time after an emergency event. First and foremost, the Basic Emergency Supply Kit must have the basics for human survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth. With those items taken care of, we can add further supplies for communication and comfort.

Use common sense. Canned goods require a can opener, and most electronics require batteries. Cars and generators don’t run well without fuel. Assess each item to make sure you have an adequate supply of what it takes to run it, and the ancillary tools necessary to make the items functional.
Think. It’s important that everyone THINK about what’s essential for them, and incorporate those items into their emergency kit.

Purchasing the supplies for a basic kit costs about $130. You can find a link to a complete list of items for your Basic Emergency Supply Kit at TEEX’s Emergency Preparedness Webage, or read below how to enter to win a kit before this weekend’s Texas A&M - Louisiana Tech football game!

Members of Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) will be in the Aggie Fan Zone on the north end of Kyle Field beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. There, you can meet the team’s K-9 rescue dogs and check out one of the steel beams recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. See many tools of the trade, special equipment and rescue cameras. TX-TF1 will also have commemorative dog tags available for the first 3,000 visitors, and kids can pick up a collectible trading card about one of the search and rescue canines. Everyone who stops by can also enter to win an Emergency Preparedness Kit!

As part of First Responders Day, Texas A&M University has chosen this game to honor current and former members of the Task Force, as well as all first responders. Recently returned from mobilization to help local jurisdictions that were impacted by the flooding associated with Tropical Storm Hermine, TX-TF1 members will take the field before the game for an awards presentation. Following the ceremony, Task Force members and their families will sit together to enjoy some great Aggie football.

Be Informed

Different emergencies require different responses. For example, a fire calls for building evacuation, while a tornado may call for people to remain in the structure for shelter. It is critical to understand potential emergencies and the appropriate response.

Here is an extensive, but not all-inclusive, list of potential disasters, as well as actions you can take to stay safe. A list of most likely disasters may include:

Blackouts	Chemical Threat
Earthquakes	Explosions
Extreme Heat	Fires
Floods	Hurricanes
Influenza Pandemic	Landslide and Debris Flow (Mudslide)
Nuclear Threat	Radiation Threat
Thunderstorms	Tornadoes
Wildfires	Winter Storms and Extreme Cold
Tsunamis	Volcanoes

Links for all of the Ready.gov information, as well as American Red Cross shelter information and other useful preparedness links can be found on TEEX’s Emergency Preparedness Webpage.

Watch for next week’s TEEXblog, where I’ll write about volunteer opportunities for citizens to assist with training emergency responders at TEEX’s Disaster City.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas tosam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Sept. 11, 2010 - Texas Aggie Football Honors Texas Task Force 1 - First Responders Day

2010-08-24T16:42:00.029-05:00

September 11th will always be a day of remembrance in America. In 2003, Texas specifically honored all those who gave their lives saving others when Texas House Bill 1937 designated September 11th of every year as Texas First Responders Day. This year, Texas A&M University has also chosen the occasion to honor current and former members of Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) at the September 11, 2010, football game against Louisiana Tech, to be played at Kyle Field at 6 p.m.

Texas Task Force 1 is an Urban Search and Rescue response team designed to provide a coordinated response to disasters in urban environments. Born in February 1997 in response to the bombing of the Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City, they are capable of responding to state, national and international disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, widespread tornadoes, flooding and man-made terrorist events.

52-Acre Disaster City® Training Facility

The Task Force is comprised of 450 personnel including search and rescue, medical, hazardous materials, and weapons of mass destruction technicians representing numerous fire departments and organizations throughout the state. Based and trained at Texas Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) Disaster City® here in College Station, members must be available for deployment within four hours.

TX-TF1 has deployed to events close to home like the Aggie Bonfire collapse, as well as national disasters like the World Trade Center attack, the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When TX-TF1 travels, it takes more than 73,000 lbs. of equipment to the scene and can function for up to 10 days. The Task Force is designed to be logistically self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operation.

On September 11, 2010, join thousands of Aggie fans in honoring these first responders and the families that support them when they are supporting us. Current and former members of the Task Force, sporting customized polo shirts for the occasion, will take the field before the game for an awards presentation. Following the ceremony, the TX-TF1 members and their families will sit together to enjoy some great Aggie football.

But the fun’s not all just on the field. Beginning at 2:30 p.m., you can find Task Force members at the TX-TF1 display in the Aggie Fan Zone on the north end of Kyle Field. Meet the team’s K-9 rescue dogs and check out one of the steel beams recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. See many tools of the trade, special equipment and rescue cameras. And, the first 3,000 visitors will receive commemorative dog tags and everyone can enter for a chance to win an Emergency Preparedness Kit.

Don’t have tickets? TEEX and TX-TF1 have partnered to provide a pair of tickets to fans of TX-TF1’s Facebook page. Just “Like” TX-TF1’s Facebook page and make an appropriate comment in support of TX-TF1 or Aggie Football. You may also make your entry comments on the special Texas Task Force 1 & Aggie Football event page. That’s all there is to it! The contest ends on August 31, and the winner will be announced on Facebook and notified through their Facebook account on September 2.

http://www.facebook.com/txtf1

To learn more visit the Texas Task Force 1 Website, or for interesting, timely updates on the Task Force, “Like” the Texas Task Force 1 Facebook page.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Texas Engineering Extension Service hosts public firefighting demonstration

2010-07-28T21:27:00.003-05:00

TEEX Hosts Unique Public Burn

For 81 years, the smoke in the sky told Brazos Valley residents that the summer fire schools were in session. Tonight, everyone is welcome at the Brayton Fire Training Center for a Public Firefighting Demonstration. Gates at the Smith Building on Nuclear Science Road open at 7 p.m. To get there, just enter Easterwood Airport through the general aviation entrance on George Bush Drive, and turn left at the wind tunnel. The Smith Building will be down the road on your left. map

UPDATE - 9:12pm Thanks for coming, everyone! Drive carefully.
8:46pm Moving through prop 46. Beautiful night!
8:04pm Fires beginning. wet
7:51pm Moving outside again to begin the burns.
7:48pm Enjoying watching TEEX videos with everyone in the Smith Operations Center. Still on a lightning hold.
7:36pm Lightning alarm. Everyone's taking shelter.
7:32pm Despite light rain, the children's fire awareness class has begun. There is plenty of cover!

This evening’s program begins with a children’s fire-awareness class at 7:30 p.m. Afterward, Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) instructors will explain and demonstrate fire-extinguishing techniques on selected full-scale, live-fire training props. Speaking from experience, these demonstrations can be very impressive, giving the observer a taste of the heat and noise that accompanies fires. If you live in the area, you shouldn’t miss this unique opportunity.

This demonstration only highlights TEEX’s 81st Annual Municipal Fire Training School. This year, more than 1,900 students and 502 guest instructors and safety officers are in attendance. This is the largest school of its kind in the world and is hosted by TEEX, in conjunction with the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas.

I’ll be at the event, so watch the TEEXblog throughout the evening for updates, photos and video. Photos from all of this year’s schools are available on TEEX’s Flickr page, and get updates all the time on Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)’s Facebook page or Twitter account.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

TEEX Graduates First Heavy Equipment Operator Course for the Disabled

2010-07-13T08:34:00.027-05:00

The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) has trained and provided technical assistance for 195,000 personnel in the last year. This June, we had a new class that was different from any we’ve offered previously. TEEX and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) together offered a special six-week Heavy Equipment Operators Training (HEOT) class for disabled students. Their graduation from TEEX’s Infrastructure Training & Safety Institute (ITSI) brought officials together from all over the state.

The Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services administers programs that train Texans with disabilities or developmental delays. DARS’s goal is to get them back to work so they can live independent and productive lives. Over the years, local Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Steve Scarmardo noticed DARS was unable to serve some consumers because they couldn’t read, write, or had a learning disability. With that in mind, and support on the regional and state level, DARS and TEEX entered a partnership to provide 240 hours of one-on-one heavy equipment operator training to an initial class of four DARS students.

In the partnership, TEEX provided training at our facility on Texas A&M’s Riverside Campus. This campus is a converted air base near Bryan with 1,900 acres of deserted streets and runways available for training on heavy equipment. DARS provided administrative support for the students, such as transportation, lodging, travel expenses, and counseling. The organization always attempts to keep students close to home and the support family can provide. Two of the four students lived at home and commuted daily, while the other two students resided at the La Salle Hotel in downtown Bryan, with the hotel providing daily breakfast and transportation.

The students learned basic maintenance and operation of several large pieces of equipment, with a constant emphasis on safety. As with most basic training, mastery of a specific piece of equipment will come with experience and further training, which may be offered by TEEX.

A special graduation ceremony was held at Riverside Campus after four weeks of hands-on training, some in deep mud. The classroom was set with four large tables for the graduates as well as their parents and families. Outside, a backhoe was set-up behind a series of cones, next to a large covered porch, for a demonstration of one graduate’s skills. The smell of Texas barbeque permeated the building.

During the ceremony inside, TEEX Director Gary Sera told the graduates, “We pride ourselves in challenging you guys,” and thanked the parents and families for their support during training. Then TEEX’s ITSI Executive Director Dan Gray awarded each student a TEEX baseball hat, emphasizing the pride they should take in their accomplishment.

Then the audience moved outside. One of the students mounted the backhoe and used the bucket to pick up and move a 3-inch washer through a complicated pattern of traffic cones. We watched amazed as the young man, using concentration and finesse, completed the course.

There was a bit of emotion at the ceremony besides the usual pride shown by TEEX Project Coordinator James Holt and instructor Rick Lemons. Obviously, some bonds had formed, and you could feel that everyone involved realized the significance of the opportunity provided for the students. It was also remarkable that Scarmardo, Sera, and Gray each took a few moments to relive their experience using heavy equipment in their youth, clearly demonstrating that there are jobs in Texas for men who love to play with big toys in the mud and dirt, as well as the families and staff that support them.

Texans- If you or someone you know could benefit from this type of training, please contact your regional DARS office. The next class is scheduled for late summer or early fall.

Here at TEEX, our annual fire schools have begun, making for one HOT July. Photos from the Spanish Fire School are already on TEEX's flickr page. Watch the TEEXblog and our facebook page as well as twitter, flickr and YouTube for more story, photo and video updates.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

Texas Counties Save Money with TEEX Online Basic County Corrections Course

2010-06-15T09:25:00.024-05:00

This week I have some news that will make Texas county government officials happy. Yesterday, TEEX’s Public Safety and Security Division launched a new, online course that will save county governments thousands of dollars annually.

There are 5,000 new temporary jailer licenses issued for corrections officers every year, such as those supervising county jails. These probationary officers must be certified by the State of Texas within 12 months of their date of hire. To become certified, officers must pass the Basic County Corrections Course and then the licensing test, which is offered at several locations throughout the state. In the past, the course was taught over a 12-day period. Although tuition is reasonable at less than $500 per student, transportation, food and lodging can boost the cost to almost $2,000 each.

Sending officers to training creates a staffing issue for jails. County detention facilities must maintain at least one corrections officer on duty for each 48 inmates. In a medium-sized department that trains 30 new corrections officers annually, sheriffs are forced to staff 360 additional days just to cover probationary officers attending the course.

By attending TEEX’s online course, probationary officers can complete the academic portion of the course in approximately three working days, from anywhere with an Internet connection. This is one-third of the time that it normally takes. An additional three days of classroom skills training is required, which will be conducted regionally.

With tuition of only $200, governments taking advantage of the online course versus paying travel and per diem costs can save thousands of dollars. Departments that offer their own training can now free the instructor formerly conducting the basic training for other projects or duties.

Taking the online course is simple. After enrollment through a sponsoring agency, students are sent an “E-token,” which allows them to log onto TEEX’s eLearning Campus. The software is designed to work with the average computer system, including a printer and speakers, and the course can even be accessed using a dial-up internet connection.

As students work their way through the 10 modules, they have the advantage of stopping and restarting at their leisure, since the program remembers their place in the syllabus. The course can be taken in just a few sittings, or over several weeks. It’s important to note that the online portion of the course must be taken within 45 days of enrollment, and the probationary officer must complete certification during the probationary period.

The online course formally launched today. Beta testing, using officers from Brazos and Grimes Counties, allowed TEEX’s curriculum and technology staff to work through bugs in the system ahead of time. With quality control and ease of use in mind, TEEX courses are written in-house and live on servers in TEEX’s State Headquarters Building.

This online course was funded through the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, and TEEX is grateful for the cooperation of the Grimes, Montgomery and Brazos County Sheriff’s Offices.

In addition to the Basic County Corrections Course, TEEX also offers TCLEOSE accepted online courses for the Intermediate Jailer Proficiency Certificate as well as other correctional officer and supervisor training courses. For further information, please contact Kyle McNew, 979-458-2762, kyle.mcnew@teexmail.tamu.edu, or www.teex.org/corrections.

Sam White is a communications specialist and blogger for the Texas Engineering Extension Service and welcomes your comments. Know of something interesting happening at TEEX? Please submit blog ideas to sam.white@teexmail.tamu.edu.

The Paradox of Branding

2010-05-05T11:59:00.020-05:00

Something has been on my mind a lot lately. In many ways, The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) suffers from a dual personality. Officially, we are a public institution of the State of Texas, and we have a public mission to train, serve, and respond. We are very proud of that mission. We provide training, technical assistance, and emergency response services to almost 200,000 people every year. We are very good at what we do and have many repeat customers. However, getting new customers is a challenge. The way to do this is by marketing our products and services.

Without getting into too much organizational detail, TEEX is basically a decentralized organization that uses business units called divisions to execute our mission. Each division is fairly autonomous, and is responsible for its own performance and financial solvency. Arguably, this model has served TEEX well for many years. However, when it comes to marketing and branding, we are all over the map and do not really have a unified “identity.”

This is okay when you are serving a specific customer set, like firefighters or the search and rescue community. The Department of Homeland Security knows us as NERRTC (The National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center); most firefighters know us as the Texas Fire Training School; and the search and rescue community knows us as Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1). Most of our international customers know us as Texas A&M University, even though we are not directly part of the university. I can go on and on.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I think, “So what, who cares what our customers call us as long as they remain loyal customers?” But what opportunities are we missing because of this branding identity issue?

Recently, we decided that we needed a Marketing Plan that reflected the entire agency, not just our individual operating divisions. So next month, TEEX’s leadership is going to meet to develop a centralized Strategic Marketing Plan. Branding will be a big topic of discussion. We’ll discuss not only what to brand, but how and where to brand. Do we brand differently internationally, inside the state of Texas, and domestically in the U.S.? Or, do we brand according to our markets? Finally, do we choose one brand or multiple brands?

The marketing experts out there will answer that of course we need to brand. But my question is: how? Here is the paradox. TEEX is an agency of the State of Texas. And we are also a part of The Texas A&M University System. We are a public institution that gets less than 10 percent of its operating budget from general public funds. Plus, any public money we do get is attached to a focused statement of work. We run our organization like a business, and market and promote our products just like a business. However, we are not a business! How much marketing and branding is too much? And how much is not enough?

These questions about how and what to brand have been debated here at TEEX for at least the 20 years that I’ve been here. Over the next six months, we are going to answer those questions. I’ll be updating you from this blog. As employees and customers, what do you think? I would be very interested in your thoughts on this!

Gary Sera is director of the Texas Engineering Extension Service and invites your comments.

MBA Leadership Challenge at Disaster City®: Anything But A Disaster

2010-04-14T05:11:00.007-05:00

For those who don’t know about Disaster City®, allow me to enlighten you. Disaster City® waits, tucked away in the woodlands surrounding College Station’s airport. In addition to serving as a training ground for the world-renowned search and rescue team Texas Task Force 1, the facility has two auxiliary purposes. First, visiting rescue professionals utilize the facility for simulation and training exercises under the supervision of TEEX. Second, students and other groups use the facility as an introduction to crisis management and as a team-building exercise.

On November 2, 2009, my fellow Texas A&M MBA students and I ventured forth into the sprawling chaos that is TEEX’s Disaster City. Our only expectations? The unexpected. Our day started slow with a review of safety guidelines and a general overview of the planned activities. In retrospect, that first meeting in the command center was like the initial incline on a roller coaster. After breaking into teams and receiving our first assignment, our “disaster” day flew by in a flurry of exciting events.

I certainly underestimated the physical exertion required by the various disaster stations, but my body reminded me of that fact for several days after the outing. Though our activities did not involve any live infernos or explosions, I have it on good authority that such events do occur in more advanced training sessions. Our group had the opportunity to conquer such landscapes as demolished buildings, rubble piles, and an old Amtrak train that has been intentionally derailed. The scale of these disasters is naturally limited by the size of the lots at the facility (roughly 52 acres); however, I can assure you that you couldn’t ask for more warped wood, twisted steel, or concrete debris. The search and rescue mission in the Amtrak train wreckage proved to be the most demanding. I certainly did not expect to crawl through a damaged train car and spend an hour coordinating the removal of an individual from an upside down bathroom stall. After spending eight hours in labyrinth after labyrinth, I realized that I hope to never experience any of these disasters as they might occur in the real world. This is not to say that I didn’t absolutely love spending the day at Disaster City, but there were enough mannequins scattered about the facility to give anyone with a decent imagination an idea about the macabre aspects of search and rescue operations.

The communication exercises were brutal. I have a newfound respect for the work of Texas Task Force 1 Public Information Officer, Brian Smith. When I visited Mays Business School in the spring, the second year students showed a tape of their TEEX Disaster City excursion. Even with prior knowledge of the presence of film crews, I was not prepared to answer the pointed questions. I felt like the reporters were constantly trying to back me into the proverbial corner and that I was letting them succeed. Despite the challenges, interaction with the pseudo-reporters yielded a hilarious blooper reel which has been sworn to secrecy by the Class of 2011. I will honor this commitment by not revealing any names, but I will disclose that some of my peers displayed an uncanny aptitude for misdirection. In addition to practice with the press, the day afforded our new MBA teams plenty of opportunities to get to know each other, and round-robin leadership responsibilities previewed our different management styles.

The most significant lesson from TEEX Disaster City is the importance of precision in crisis situations. Successful crisis management requires not only accuracy in rescue operations but also care in communication. Wasted effort during a rescue can result in delays in locating victims which may ultimately result in unnecessary loss of life. Likewise, revealing excessive amounts of information to the media may be misleading and detrimental to ongoing operations.

Undoubtedly, all aspiring business executives can benefit from understanding how to focus the efforts of an organization and deliver a clear, concise message internally and externally. I look forward to expanding upon my TEEX Disaster City experiences and honing both of these skills in the coming months and years.

The Texas A&M MBA class of 2011 has incurred a debt to TEEX that can never be forgotten. Not only did the knowledgeable staff provide an exciting daylong adventure, but they also emphasized how the lessons from the event can and should be taken at more than face value. Very few, if any, of my colleagues will become members of a professional search and rescue operation. However, if our future employers were to experience a calamity requiring such a team, at least we would be cognizant of the operational process. Additionally, TEEX Disaster City is a proving ground where exposure to challenging physical activities reinforces the fact that the intangible qualities of leadership persist in all things we do.

Once again, our thanks go to TEEX for facilitating an irreplaceable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

John Lineberger is an MBA Candidate at Texas A&M's Mays Business School, Class of 2011.

Just another week in TEEX's Disaster City®

2010-03-22T09:35:00.025-05:00

There's been a lot going on at TEEX's Disaster City®. The Aggie-led 84th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) from Casper, Wyoming, finished a week of training, simulations and drills. At the same time, a Structural Collapse Technician II class of 18 completed completed two weeks of training.

We all remember the horrible earthquake in Haiti. Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1), of which I'm the public information officer, was activated and prepared to deploy to the island. As teams arrived in Haiti and the situation was assessed, limited runway, port and logistics concerns caused Texas Task Force 1 as well as several other teams to stand down.

One can't help but be disappointed when this happens. We were "all dressed up with no place to go" so to speak. However, the system is understood, and it works. We'll treat it as an exercise and learn what we can.

TX-TF1 trains well here at our 52-acre Disaster City® Campus, but there is no substitute for what we learn when we employ our training in a real situation. Disaster City® has excellent props and the finest, most experienced instructors in the world, but the men and women who did deploy to Haiti came back with real knowledge and stories that TEEX instructors and clients need to hear.

Luckily, we have several good friends on the teams that did deploy. Of the 28 FEMA task forces scattered throughout the United States and it's territories, many have trained with TEEX. Phone calls were made and offers extended. After returning to the mainland and spending a few days with family, three members of New York Task Force 1 (NY-TF1) boarded an airplane for Texas A&M's Easterwood Airport for five days of debriefing at Disaster City®.

New York City Police Detectives Phil Pietrunti and Soeren Lygum, along with Randy Miller, deployed to Haiti as members of the New York Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue team on Jan. 16, 2010, where they made six rescues. Both Pietrunti and Lygum said the event that stands out the most is the rescue of two children, ages 8 and 12, who were buried in the rubble of their two-story home. When the team arrived at the collapsed building, the children's father had been trying to dig them out with a crowbar for eight days.

Brian Freeman, who coordinated their trip to College Station, was determined to get as much information and exposure out of them as possible during their 5-day stay. So, they started by having Phil & Soeren speak directly to the two groups going through training at Disaster City®. Both groups appreciated the frank description of their experiences and what did and didn't work.

The second day, after meeting with local media, Detectives Pietrunti and Lygum sat down with TEEX Adjunct Brian Beadnell, Clint Arnett, & Daniel May for an extended focus-group about New York Task Force 1's role in the rescue operation. As professionals we know that no matter how well we plan, circumstances will change, and we'll have to adapt. Here are just a few of the things that emerged from the discussion:

A database is essential in tracking people and equipment.
We had the only forklift at the airport for quite a while. We had to learn how to balance the resources available to us.
Remaining self-sufficient was always on our minds. We brought enough food and water for 72 hours, none for showers.
Civilians were essential allies as translators and communicators, telling us where people were buried.
Hand-held GPS's work much better with maps. Our techy communications officer improvised to get us what we needed. Essential (techy communications officer).
If buildings are built to U.S. Code, they are less likely to fall down.
1kw generators are too small.
The toll on civilians was horrendous, many begging us to dig out the bodies of dead family members.

The information exchanged in the focus group was invaluable and sobering. According to Pietrunti, after an experience like Haiti, "You don't sweat the small stuff. You realize how lucky and blessed you are."

On Saturday night, we were proud to introduce Detectives Pietrunti and Lygum at the Baylor vs. Texas A&M's Women's Basketball game. Women's basketball is a favorite winter passion here in the Brazos Valley, and Reed Arena was packed. The detectives seemed humbled by the attention, but I know they appreciated the support.

We were fortunate to host Randy, Phil & Soeren and deeply appreciate the time they took away from their jobs and family to share their experiences from Haiti. They voiced their appreciation for the opportunity to share, and felt honored that TEEX called and gave them a chance to pass on what they learned to everyone in the rescue community.

Just another week in Disaster City®.

Brian Smith is the public information officer for Texas Task Force 1.

TEEX Annual Fire Schools - A Hot Time in College Station

2010-03-05T05:30:00.027-06:00

It's spring in College Station, and that means it’s time to begin our annual fire school season at the Brayton Fire Training Field. The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) will be welcoming almost 300 firefighters from all over the world next week at our Annual Spring Fire Training School, which runs from March 7-12, 2010.

Spring school is always fun because it’s when we teach many of our specialty courses. When I became a firefighter back in 1978, we knew we were going to put out several structure fires every day. That's what firefighters did back then. Today when the bell sounds, the 21st-century firefighter faces a whole range of unique scenarios that require specialized training. We can show a participant the equivalent of five years of different fires and scenarios in just one week at our facility.

Some available courses for next week's Spring Fire Training School include:

We have postponed some sections because of reduced enrollment caused by our slow economy. For this reason, it's important that fire administrators remember that funds are available for many of our courses under House Bill 2604, which the Texas Legislature passed to help Texas rural fire departments send their personnel to training. Departments can send up to 10 people to each school, and have their tuition and noon meal covered by the almost $23 million available in the program. For further information on applying for these funds, please visit the Texas Forest Service HB 2604 Web page, or our Funding and Grants Website.

We have another unique training event taking place at the end of March in Austin, Texas. The 55th Annual Arson Investigator's Seminar will run from March 21-26, 2010, at the Omni Hotel. There is renewed interest in arson investigative procedures in Texas, and we are expecting peace officers from many state and national public and private agencies to attend. Participants will receive up-to-date information on fire-cause determination, arson investigation and prosecution, as well as technology that will aid them in protecting the citizens of Texas against arson.

On July 11-16, our "hot" summer schedule kicks in with TEEX's Spanish Fire Training School, or Escuela en Español. Over 800 personnel from 22 Spanish-speaking countries will descend on Bryan/College Station to train in their own language at TEEX's Brayton Fire Training Field. It is a unique opportunity to expose these firefighters to TEEX and The Texas A&M University System and is usually enjoyed by both participants and the local residents.

The Industrial Fire School follows from July 19-23, 2010, when 500-700 industrial fire and safety personnel will have the choice among a broad range of classes designed to address specific industry needs using the most advanced methodologies available in the fire training world. Our classes range from national certification courses (e.g., NFPA 1081, Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade, Professional Qualifications) to customized courses designed to meet the specific training needs of a client's industrial facility.

Finally, July 25-31, 2010, is our Municipal Fire School. This school brings over 2,400 fire prevention, suppression, control and safety personnel from municipalities, industries, state and federal agencies, as well as the armed services to Bryan/College Station for one week of training with our highly qualified and experienced instructors. Preceding the Municipal Fire School is our Annual Vendor Show, held at Texas A&M University's Reed Arena. With the biggest and best fire and rescue equipment in the world on display, the vendor show is a big hit with both fire school participants and the residents of the Brazos Valley.

In addition to the busy annual schedule, there are usually 200 fire service personnel training with us on any given week. Every year, over 54,000 personnel train at the Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station. These visitors stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants and purchase our Texas, TEEX and Texas A&M souvenirs. I like to think that they leave Aggieland with the best training available anywhere in the world along with a good dose of Texas hospitality.

TEEX has been providing unsurpassed fire training for emergency responders since 1929, when the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas selected Texas A&M University as the site for a permanent firefighter training school. Worldwide, TEEX's Emergency Services Training Institute trains and touches over 81,000 personnel annually from all 50 states and 45 countries.

For further information on our programs or the Brayton Fire Training Field, please visit http://teex.org/fire, or call us at 866-878-8900. We're going to have a “hot” time this summer, so come join us

Harvie Cheshire is coordinator for TEEX's annual fire schools.