Leadership Academy

Firefighters host expanded fire training program for student leaders

The Boulder Fire Department hosted the first Leadership Fire Academy for University of Colorado at Boulder student leaders on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Boulder Regional Fire Training Center, 960 Lee Hill Road. The program is designed to teach students who live off-campus about fire behavior, evacuation strategies, proper fire extinguisher use, and search and rescue techniques used by firefighters.

The program is modeled after the successful, student-oriented Greek Fire Academy, which the department has hosted for eight years. This year, however, based on the recommendations of students, program organizers decided to expand participation opportunities. Saturday’s event brought together 24 student leaders from sororities, fraternities, student government and other influential student organizations in hopes of giving them life-saving information to share with their peers.

“We are so excited to offer this expanded program because we know that students are the best messengers for fellow students,” said Sherry Kenyon, fire safety education coordinator for the Boulder Fire Department. “Historically, our worst fires have been in large apartment buildings. By including a broader group of student leaders, we hope that we will be able to forge strong relationships and improve students’ knowledge of how to prevent and respond to fire.”

During Saturday’s academy, students were assigned to work in a “fire crew” that was be placed in situations that require teamwork and cooperation in order to overcome simulated fire emergencies.  The crews rotated through various activities including: a four-story evacuation simulation; a hose station requiring them to connect a hose to a hydrant, pull hose from a truck and charge a water line; fire extinguisher use; and a search and rescue station where students retrieved a rescue mannequin from a building while wearing full firefighting gear.

Student leaders were required to undergo an application process that included questions about why they were the best representative of their organization and how they plan to share what they learn with others. Student organizations paid a $200 sponsorship fee for each participant to cover equipment and other costs associated with the training.

This program is a joint venture of Boulder Fire Rescue Safety Education and CU’s Office of Student Affairs. It represents an ongoing collaboration between city and university leaders on important safety issues.

“The City of Boulder’s Fire Department and the University of Colorado at Boulder have built a strong partnership in providing fire safety education for students,” said Deb Coffin, CU-Boulder’s Dean of Students. “Students value the peer-to-peer aspect of this training, and it continues to make a positive difference.”

The Leadership Fire Training Academy kicks off National Campus Fire Safety Month. Several other events, including the distribution of fire safety door hangers by Off-Campus Student Services, are scheduled throughout the next few weeks.

For more information, contact Sherry Kenyon, Boulder’s fire safety education coordinator, at (303) 441-4355.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 September 2009 13:49