Reporter-News Archives Saturday, July 26, 1997 Firefighting cadets to begin training By TANYA EISERER / Abilene Reporter-News Ten cadets will hit the floor Aug. 5 for the Abilene Fire Department's 41st Training Academy. The 171-member fire department is eight people short, meaning that the nine cadets from Abilene will allow for some staffing leeway, Abilene Fire Chief Bob Putnam said. The cadets, including one from Cisco, will spend four months learning firefighting at Station 8. They will train at an operational fire station as Abilene follows the lead of Fort Worth, which already houses its cadet-training academy at a station. "The cadets will be more involved in the day-to-day activity of a fire station," Putnam explained. In preparation, firefighters converted a double dorm room into an classroom and built three new bedrooms for firefighters. "This is a major change for us," said District Chief Ken Dozier, head of training. "It was a fairly big chore getting the station ready." The 12 firefighters assigned to Station 8, who relocated from posts across the city in February, will teach the cadets. "They volunteered for this," Dozier said. "They knew they were going to be taking on a tremendous responsibility. They're taken on a lot of extra work." Putnam added, "It's going to work just fine. I'm really excited about getting more of the guys on the floor involved in the training process.' By putting two training officers back on the floor, the department may also save some overtime costs, the chief said. The station will always have four-person manning so that one firefighter remains to teach the cadets. "They're going to be shorthanded, but we have operated with three people before on a piece of equipment," Dozier said. "I will be monitoring the situation." Among the 30-plus topics, the cadets will learn about fire science, ventilation, rescue, hydraulics, diving, vehicle extrication, fire flows and rappelling. The new cadets are: - Derek Briggs, 29, of Wolfforth. He is certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection as a basic structural firefighter and a certified EMT. - Tye Brooks, 26, of Abilene. He is a graduate of Abilene Christian University. - Timothy Carroll, 33, of Brownwood, who attended Southwest Texas State University. - Robert Joyce, 32, of Arvada, Colo., a graduate of Western State Colorado College. - Jon Michael Sims, 23, of Abilene, a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University. - Jay Tabor, 27, of Albany. - Gaite Taylor, 21, of Buffalo Gap. He attended Clarendon College. - Jeffery Waggoner, 25, of Clyde. He attended Cisco Junior College. - Timothy Wesloh, 26, of Plano. He attended the Collin County Community College where he was certified as a structural firefighter and EMT. Walter Fairbanks, of Cisco, will also attend the academy on behalf of the city of Cisco. The academy will last from Aug. 5 to Dec. 13. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1997, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications