Students get hosed at fire safety training class

Dennis Robbins instructed his students to take their time, move forward and keep it steady as they balanced a fire hose and shot water at a bucket suspended in mid-air during a hose safety training class at Hahnville High School.

"We pair the students up with a partner so they can learn how to work as a team and also get good experience using hand-eye coordination," Robbins, who teaches a fireman’s class at HHS, said. "I've been a volunteer firefighter for 33 years and we used to surround and drown a house or structure during a fire, which causes a lot of water damage besides the personal property that's already destroyed in some cases."

 Now, Robbins says the course teaches the students to accurately aim the hoses and watch the amount of water they're spraying to keep the amount of water damage  down.
"We know that during a fire things are going to get wet," he said. "But we try to teach the students how to manage the hose and keep the damage to a minimum."

Robbins says students earn a credit for the class and receive accreditation when they prepare to become firefighters in the real world.
"The training the students receive in class counts towards their certification and training needed to become real or volunteer fire fighters," he said. "The classes count and we want to make sure the students get as much hands-on training as possible."

Robbins has invited several guest speakers to help students get exposure to different types of fire hazards.
Students will also visit Monsanto to learn Hazmat and have already received arson training.
"We need volunteers," he said. "We have some dedicated people right now, but we can always use more.”