Page 96 - History of the Colton Fire Department

Colton to Host Mexico Firefighters here for training
City firefighters this week
– as they’ve often done for the
past 17 year – take part in a for-
eign exchange program.
The medium of exchange is fire-
fighting techniques.
Firefighters here will be
host to four of 71 visiting “bomb-
eros” – firemen from Mexico who
will participate in a training pro-
gram arranged by San Bernardi-
no County Fire Chiefs.
“It’s been a real rewarding
program over the years,” said
Colton Fire Chief Al Teague.
“And the bomberos have been
very interested in the program.
Chief Al Teague “They’d take training ses-
sions 24 hours a day if they could, they
are so enthusiastic.”
According to Teague, Colton serves as the central
gathering point for the program, as it has for the past three
years.
But Teague said Colton’s association with the exchange pro-
gram has been sponsored by the California fire chiefs,” Teague
said. “But the year before it started, firefighters here in Colton
hosted a group of bomberos from Mexicali.”
He said that through the years as many as 150 Mexi-
can firefighters have come for the training session sponsored by
various county firefighting associations.
The 71 firefighters this year from throughout Mexico
will arrive 4 p.m. Sunday at Hutton Community Center here.
At Hutton, the bomberos will be welcomed by the county fire
departments that will serve as their hosts for the next week.
“The cost of the program is pretty minimal,” said
Teague, “everything is donated.”
Teague said the buses for transportation the visitors
are donated, as is the housing as local fire stations and the
training sessions at San Bernardino Valley College.
Instructors from various local fire departments will
off session’s instructor training, factory safety, rescue practices
and “major incident command,” said Teague.
Following the week-long training sessions, a banquet
will be held for the visiting firefighters 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Na-
tional Orange Show grounds. Teague said the dinner is open
to the public and tickets are $10.
The following morning, the firefighters will gather at Hutton
Center and the local firemen will say goodbye and the visitors
– with their newly acquired training- return to Mexico.
It’ll be the last visit here for awhile – next year’s
training program will be held in San Diego County.
San Bernardino Sun Telegram Top; Al teague (left) and Dewayne Hudson

Bottom; Al Teague investigating a kitchen fire.

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