MONROE - The tradition continues, as Monroe residents and visitors notice smoke drifting across the city's sky this weekend.
The Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Fire/Rescue Association will celebrate 75 years of the Monroe Fire School August 19-21.
Highlighting the event is Chief Bobby Halton, with a presentation on the status of the American fire service, learning from experience of others and fireground decision-making Saturday.
After 28 years of public service, Halton is now editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering Magazine and education director of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC).
Halton retired in 2004 from the Albuquerque, N.M., Fire Department as Chief of Operations. He then became chief of the Coppell, Tex., Fire Department, before becoming editor of Fire Engineering Magazine.
He's active with the National Fallen Firefighters Life Safety Initiatives, which is dedicated to preventing line-of-duty deaths and injuries.
With numerous areas of fire and training expertise and professional qualifications, he has done extensive speaking and training for the fire service in the United States, Canada and internationally.
This year, some new classes and new instructors join the three days of classes held at the MERIT Center and other locations in Monroe. Classes start at 8 a.m.
"It's Not Just Pulling Hose," and "Fire Ops, The 1st Fifteen Minutes" are new to the line-up of available classes. "The First Five Minutes" and "Advanced SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) Training" are also new. The Vendor Expo is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 7 a.m. until closing Sunday at the Green County Fairgrounds. No gate fee is charged, and food is available.
The association held its first "School of Firemanship" in September 1937 in New Glarus. The school came to Monroe permanently in 1960. The school added Saturday classes in 1980, and in 1998 added Friday classes to become a three-day event for the first time.
-Tere Dunlap
The Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Fire/Rescue Association will celebrate 75 years of the Monroe Fire School August 19-21.
Highlighting the event is Chief Bobby Halton, with a presentation on the status of the American fire service, learning from experience of others and fireground decision-making Saturday.
After 28 years of public service, Halton is now editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering Magazine and education director of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC).
Halton retired in 2004 from the Albuquerque, N.M., Fire Department as Chief of Operations. He then became chief of the Coppell, Tex., Fire Department, before becoming editor of Fire Engineering Magazine.
He's active with the National Fallen Firefighters Life Safety Initiatives, which is dedicated to preventing line-of-duty deaths and injuries.
With numerous areas of fire and training expertise and professional qualifications, he has done extensive speaking and training for the fire service in the United States, Canada and internationally.
This year, some new classes and new instructors join the three days of classes held at the MERIT Center and other locations in Monroe. Classes start at 8 a.m.
"It's Not Just Pulling Hose," and "Fire Ops, The 1st Fifteen Minutes" are new to the line-up of available classes. "The First Five Minutes" and "Advanced SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) Training" are also new. The Vendor Expo is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 7 a.m. until closing Sunday at the Green County Fairgrounds. No gate fee is charged, and food is available.
The association held its first "School of Firemanship" in September 1937 in New Glarus. The school came to Monroe permanently in 1960. The school added Saturday classes in 1980, and in 1998 added Friday classes to become a three-day event for the first time.
-Tere Dunlap