29 Oct Zapata County firefighters hold ladder training with veteran officers

Zapata County Fire Department firefighters on A Shift recently spent a training session working with ladders, and the department’s newest members learned from officers with years of local emergency experience, according to the Zapata County News.

Captain Epitacio J. Martínez, Lt. Roel González Jr. and Firefighter Paramedic Antonio Saavedra III led the session. It covered how to handle, position and raise ladders, along with how crews coordinate when they use them on the fireground. Probationary firefighters were among those taking part.

Firefighter René Bautista of the Stafford Fire Department, who once served with the Zapata County department, visited and joined A Shift for the training, giving him and his former colleagues a chance to catch up and trade knowledge.

Ladders are basic tools, but using them well takes technique, communication and close attention to safety, whether crews are getting to an upper floor, a roof or an escape route. The training also gave newer firefighters an opportunity to ask questions of veterans and build confidence for real emergencies.