COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Part of the College Station Fire Department is the Citizens Fire Academy, which gives community members a hands-on experience with what happens in the local fire department.
“Joining Citizens Fire Academy, especially as a new person to College Station, not even just a member who has been here for a while, gives you a better understanding of what the department does, and where your money goes as well,” said Harlei Struck, Community Outreach Specialist, College Station Fire Department.
“Being afraid of fires and not understanding fires, it made a lot of sense to go through the Citizens Fire Academy and to learn about it, and to have the knowledge of if your house catches on fire — what not to do more than what to do was very important to me,” said Jose and Earline Solis, Citizens Fire Academy members.
At just 76 and 79, Jose and Earline Solis are all about adventure and learning how to better serve their fellow neighbor.
“They fully realize that when they’re called to come to a place, something has happened, that somebody is hurt, somebody has lost something, or somebody has lost a life, and they have to have compassion,” Solis said.
Harlei Struck is the community outreach specialist with the College Station Fire Department.
For the past 12 weeks, she has walked the class through various training and activities, showing behind the scenes of College Station Fire’s commitment to protect and serve the community.
“We’ve gotten a great overview of College Station Fire Department 101 by Chief Mann,” Struck said.
“Last week, we got to do Hose Night so we got to see the different sizes of hoses. We’ve gotten fit test, how masks fit, how they kind of suction to your face and how they get an experience of that and breathing in the SCBA mask.”
Mrs. Solis says the academy offers many takeaways such as learning where and how the community's tax dollars are spent.
Participants in the Citizens Fire Academy also learned about first aid and CPR, vehicle extrication, fire hoses and ventilation, and climbing a near 100-foot search and rescue ladder.
“See what it’s like to be up there and what our guys and girls have to go through when they’re called to do what they need to do to protect our citizens,” Solis said.
The Solis’ share a piece of advice on what keeps them going in life.
“Life is all about learning,” Solis said.
“Never stop learning and whenever you have an opportunity to learn of something that intrigues you or you find that is of interest, go for it.”
Participants in the Citizens Fire Academy will graduate on Tuesday, May 2.
For anyone interested in joining the next Citizens Fire Academy, the application will open next spring on the City of College Station’s website here.