FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2003
CONTACT: John G. Hammond, San Antonio College Director of Public Relations
210.733.2147

New SAC Fire Science Equipment Will Improve Training

In July, the Fire Science Program at San Antonio College received a new "cascade system" trailer, which will be used to quickly and easily replenish students' oxygen tanks that are used during training.

The new equipment was manufactured by Ferrara Fire Apparatus, based in Baton Rouge, La., at a cost of $19,000 and funded by a Carl Perkins grant.

"Previously, we had to toss the empty tanks into the back of a truck and go to a firehouse to fill the bottles, but this new system makes it possible for us to re-fill them right away," said Gary Fox, Fire Science Program Director.

Fire Science students must practice using the air tanks as part of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), which are used in SCBA practice with live fires, according to Fox. Each student's tank is rated for 30 minutes at a capacity of 4,000 pounds of air, said Fox.

The new trailer can hold six tanks, each of which contains 6,000 pounds of air. These are connected by tubes to a refill station, where an operator can re-fill two tanks at the same time. As one tank is emptied, the system automatically uses the next tank in a cascading sequence.

Last year, the Fire Science Program had an enrollment of 282 students. The program provides the only college-credit Fire Science instruction in San Antonio. For more information about the program, contact Fox at 733-2887.