Austin firefighters complete advanced wildfire training

Wildfire training for Austin firefighters

As of this summer, every Austin firefighter has completed an advanced level of wildfire training.

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin is home to numerous greenbelts, which always carry the risk of wildfire, especially under drought conditions and red flag warnings. Now, crews are better prepared.

On July 18, city leaders, representatives from the Austin Fire Department and several other departments marked a major milestone in protecting Austin from wildfires.

Council member Alison Alter announced that, as of this summer, every Austin firefighter has completed "Responding to the Interface" training, an advanced level of wildfire training.

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The program started in Austin through a collaboration with the International Association of Firefighters.

"I am very confident that the completion of this course by all Austin firefighters is going to bolster the effectiveness of our response to wildfire, ensure better protection for first responders, our community and our natural resources. I am so proud of our city's commitment to public safety and community resilience. And, I'm excited to see that AFD will be supporting other jurisdictions, especially in this region, to implement this life-saving training," said Alter.

Austin is the largest city in the country to put all of its firefighters through the Responding to the Interface training.