Balcones Heights, Hollywood Park and Shavano Park firefighters take part in live-burn training in Bonham

On May (date not specified), Thomas Motelkin, identified in the transcript as fire chief of the Balcones Heights Fire Department, led a live-burn training exercise at the San Antonio College Regional Fire Academy in Bonham, Texas. Fire departments from Hollywood Park and Shavano Park also participated.

Organizers staged controlled structure fires so crews could practice the full sequence of an emergency response: taking the emergency call, arriving on scene, suppressing the fire and completing incident procedures. The training used simulated victims and scenario-based feedback to create realistic conditions for crews to practice common tasks and decision-making under stress.

A fire chief identified in the transcript as Mato Gheen said the exercises ‘‘allow crews to practice their skills and work with their mutual-aid responding companies,’’ emphasizing that joint training improves coordination during multi-jurisdiction responses. Participants received feedback from a chief-model team and peers after each scenario to identify lessons learned.

Those involved said the exercise provided value beyond frontline firefighting. The transcript reports that trainers urged other city departments, including dispatch, to observe or participate so personnel who handle emergency calls can better understand on-scene operations.

The training was described as a hands-on, interagency exercise with the explicit goal of improving tactical skills and mutual-aid coordination. No formal policy actions or funding decisions were recorded in the transcript; the report does not specify a date for the training beyond the month and does not list exact participant rosters or funding sources.

The San Antonio College Regional Fire Academy hosted the event in Bonham, Texas. Participants and trainers did not announce additional follow-up drills or scheduled public briefings in the provided transcript.