¹û¶³´«Ã½ Fire Science Program Lauded for Partnership with St. Lucie County
¹û¶³´«Ã½ Fire Science Program Lauded for Partnership with St. Lucie County
June 22, 2021 Suzanne Seldes
Students enrolled in ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ (¹û¶³´«Ã½) Public Service Education regularly participate in hands-on drills and exercises to test their knowledge under extreme situations. The ¹û¶³´«Ã½, St. Lucie County Environmental Resource Department (ERD), and the SLC Fire District were recently recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with a 2021 Achievement Award for their Joint Fire Training program. The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.
"For the past several years, ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Fire Academy has partnered with the St Lucie County ERD, which is responsible for sustainable land management practices, regulations, public education, and outreach," shares Dr. Raimundo Socorro, Dean of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Public Service Education. "The ERD monitors over 11,000 acres of preserves, parks and trails. While monitoring, ERD conducts prescribed burns. This is where our students come in. We do a day of live burns for our Wildland Certification, S-130/S-190, with the ERD team."
Along with the burn, students learn about weather, proper chain saws use, brush trucks and equipment, backfiring techniques, and making a fire-line with hand tools and heavy equipment. "It is an exhaustive and informative day," adds ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Instructor Thomas Hutchinson, who helped organize the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Team. "Students are wearing gear and experience firsthand how a wildland fire reacts."
For more information on ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Public Service Education or the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Fire Academy, visit