Battalion Chief Travis Thom has completed six courses, which totaled more than 300 hours, and is one of only 39 individuals worldwide that have met the requirements for this certification. These courses included many hours of advanced structural collapse training, and this certification demonstrates that Battalion Chief Thom has the skills and ability to better respond to and direct urban search and rescue incidents for his community and the region.
The Texas A&M Engineering (TEEX) Extension Service program is designed for members of a search and rescue task force that wish to obtain the highest level of training and expertise in structural collapse rescue operations. “This is the only certificate of its kind for advanced urban search and rescue training, and very few people nationwide qualify at this point,” said Brian Smith with TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute, who coordinates the program.
For more information from Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, visit www.siouxfalls.org/fire or follow us onfacebook.com/siouxfallsfire or twitter.com/siouxfallsfire.