Law Enforcement classes practiced putting out fires today as part of student training.

The program, Teen Community Emergency Response Training (CERT), is meant to prepare students in the event of an emergency.

“CERT gives students a first-responder insight into emergency preparedness,” law enforcement teacher David Sparks said. “Fire department members come out here and set up a controlled burn to show students how to properly use a fire extinguisher to put out a fire.”

Community liaison for the Houston Fire Department Albert Bennett demonstrated proper technique for students before letting students practice for themselves. According to Bennett, the techniques learned are key skills students should know.

“It allows them to be self-sufficient in case of a natural disaster or a catastrophic event,” Bennett said. “When the fire department can’t respond, they have some baseline knowledge of what to do and how to do it.”

Teen CERT is a division of the national program sponsored by FEMA, meant to increase emergency procedure awareness.