This week firemen from the Brownwood Fire Department are taking Swift Water Rescue Training.  The training is being conducted in a reservoir adjacent to the Water Treatment Plant of the Brown County Water Improvement District.  The reservoir contains raw, untreated water from Lake Brownwood, before it enters the treatment plant.  When pumps are engaged, the incoming water flow is very fast, simulating the swift water conditions found in fast-flowing streams and flooding situations.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Jody Horton, the Brownwood Fire Department first began swift water training about six or seven years ago.  At the time, the firefighters had to travel to New Braunfels for the training.  Now, Brownwood firefighter Phillip Fox is a certified trainer with an Instructor rating.  With the cooperation of the Water Improvement District, training can now be done locally, saving valuable time and money.  It also keeps the trainees in town, in case of a fire or other emergency.

All Brownwood firefighters are required to take the swift water training, and must be re-certified every two years.