San Jacinto College maritime heats things up with new fire field

The San Jacinto College Maritime Program's basic and advanced fire fighting courses just gained a powerful new asset. The College now boasts a new fire training field located at the Maritime Training and Technology Center in La Porte, Texas.

"We previously partnered with local municipalities to use their fire fields for the live fire portion of training," said John Stauffer, associate vice chancellor and superintendent of maritime. "With a field of our own, we are saving money on equipment rentals, and we are able to use our own instructors."

The new fire field offers a natural gas fed fire trainer, allowing students to confront galley, bunk, and mechanical fires. Additionally, the fire field allows students to extinguish various types of fires using portable extinguishers.

"We basically have been able to burn every couple of days," Stauffer said. "By owning our own equipment and running our own live fire trainings, we can burn as often as needed without the added cost."

The addition of the fire training field aids in the training of future mariners and to those already in the field. Incumbent workers as well as students seeking degrees must complete annual fire training.

For more information about the maritime program at San Jacinto College, please visit sanjac.edu/maritime.