Citizens Fire Academy proposed in San Benito

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

The San Benito Fire Department (SBFD) is introducing the first Citizens Fire Academy.

The Citizens Fire Academy is an eight-week program in which citizens 18 years and older who live or work in San Benito will obtain knowledge in fire prevention, rescue, and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among other skills.

“The purpose of the Citizens Fire Academy is to inform and educate the public about what firemen do,” Fire Marshal Henry Lopez said on Tuesday. “They’ll see what it takes, the hazards of the job, and the requirements for entry into the SBFD.”

Lopez, along with San Benito Fire Chief Severo Ochoa, presented the idea to the San Benito City Commission at the March 15 regular meeting.

“Basically, we’re going to give a breakdown of what we go through when we go to a fire,” Lopez said. “We’re going to go through every phase of fire fighting. It’s not just putting wet stuff on red stuff; we need to be able to think on our feet.”

For more on this story, pick up a copy of the March 16 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.