By Juan Montoya
Citing a dismal certification rate for student firefighters over the life of the program, a majority of the board of the Brownsville Independent School District approved the last year of its existence in the district to allow 20 seniors to finish their year in the 2020-2021 school year.
Over the four years that the vendor – Justin Oakerson's International Academy for Emergency Medical Technology of Brownsville (IAEMT) – has offered the Basic Fire Suppression (Firefighter Program), 19 students out of 96 who enrolled have passe the state certification exam – a 19.7 success rate.
Many remember that Oakerton was closely assisted by former BISD board member and Brownsville Fire Dept. Chief Carlos Elizondo to implement the program at the district.
However, the dismal success rate led Dr. Rene Gutierrez to recommend to the board to do away with the program and cut it's losses. The proposal before the board was for the third year of the contract with an option to renew for two additional one-year terms. Over the past year, the BISD paid the firm $299,782 and this year the cost estimated was for another $299,984.
If the IAEMT had been granted another three-year contract including renewal options to provide both Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Technician classes, it would have totaled $889,952, according to support documents provided the board by Career and Technical Education Center Director Dr. Juan Chavez.
Instead, the board approved one more year for the 20 seniors in the fire suppression (firefighter) program and one more year for the EMT program.
The program was scheduled to cot $4,678 per student for 32 student at $286,000. Instead, the 20 seniors would be allowed to finish a rate of $4,678 per students for a total of $93,745.
And instead of the EMT program for three years, they opted to pay for one more year and "transition" the junior-level students toward a law enforcement track. They also directed the administration to direct purchasing to target specific vendors for the services. The board members learned that over the four years of the programs being available to students, the RFQ was sent to more than 340 vendors, but that during all that time IAEMT had been the only one following though on the bidding.
"We're worried about the success rate for the firefighter program," Gutierrez told the board members. "It doesn't seem like it's going in the right direction and that we're getting the worth for our money."
It was sentiment shared by board president Eddie Garcia and member Prisci Roca-Tipton who also expressed displeasure at the certification rates for the program.
"I believe that we have received many community concerns from some of the teachers and the community," Tipton said, "And they are just holding us accountable for the pass rates. At this point it's not the cost of the program to me. I'm just struggling with the past rates. I think we're misleading the community."
Members Jessica Gonzalez and Minerva Peña indicated that since the BISD was the only district offering the combined EMT/Fire Suppression courses, efforts to help students pass certification should be put in place to help them.
But the suggestion fell on deaf ears even though Peña said she wanted o see what had been done wrong to result in the low certification rates.
"I am heartbroken that we do away with the program," Peña said. "You know my father was a firefighter."
17 comments:
Look for another training school with better credentials and results, don't just close it down pinches pendejetes
TSC gets the new contract...LOL
If 9:27 is correct, why did Tipton vote on this issue. Conflict of interest being directed from the federal jailed board member still running the district.
BISD is all about hurting students not helping them. All these idiots that voted to do away with the program need to be voted out!
Departments such as Brownsville are Civil Service. You can have all the certifications in the world related to Fire and EMS, but to be hired, everyone must pass the Civil Service entrance exam. This applies to Fire and Police personnel. Pass the entrance exam with a high enough score and you have no need to have previous training or certifications. The departments will train you. Less than 20 percent certification rate is unacceptable and dismal. Even passing these courses and obtaining state certification there is no guarantee you will be hired by BFD or BPD.
Looking at this in a positive light, we have 4 new EMT's.
Strange that Chief Felix El Chapo Sauceda can't find anyone to name as his new Commander??
Well welcome to the circus...let's give you a brief tour of this circus action far..you can't make this shit up!!
So here we go..welcome to the show!
Act #1..
Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda, He may carry the title of Chief but more than half of his own people don't respect the the guy...I dare call him a man when half his people won't even call him CHIEF..
but it's not his fault he had never really been a true supervisor at any level.
As a sergeant he wasn't on the streets for very long and was then moved to evidence room and the city jail.
He was then moved over to the Special Investigations Unit where he really messed things up, comprised himself and the Police Department, and probably would be sitting in jail somewhere if it wasn't for the kindness of the former Chief Orlando Rodriguez.
Sauceda was removed immediately than allowed to promote where he became a Lieutenant and spent his time as the commander's secretary, where most of his time was spent sending out emails and planning to get revenge on others who have gad a far superior career than him.
Now for the rest of the story: As Commander Dale's secretary he dreamed of sitting in the Commanders chair and was caught on several different occasions sitting in the big chair..
Then Commander Dale became entangled in a power struggle with Commissioner Jessica Tetreau over guess who? Of course, Diane Martinez.
The fight was over Diane's scheduling because she refused to work late and did not want to work weekends. The Sgt. Assigned to supervisor her was scared of her that he decided to inform the Lieutenant he reported to guess who it was Felix Sauceda. SAUCEDA ALSO STAINED HIS PANTIES AND ran to his BOSS Commander Dale.
But since Sauceda and Diane have history, and Sauceda knew that Commander Dale who has a pair and would do what was right for the department.
*Sauceda sees an opportunity and puts the two on a collision course*;
Sauceda tells Diane to get Jessica involved.
Commissioner Tetreau then calls Dale told him to change Diane's schedule immediately and threatened to end his career if she didn't get her wish.
Well here is where it all got crazy. Ex-Chief Orlando Rodriguez had already put in for retirement so he left the most senior commander in charge, who was James Paschal.
Then, Lt. Sauceda now capitalizing on his opportunity to advance and made friends with Tetreau promising that if he was made chief of police he would take care of the commissioners best friend Diane. So the story unfoldes; At the order of Tetreau, acting chief Paschall then demotes Commander David Dale and makes Sauceda Acting Commander – a position he holds very briefly – and a short period later, to everyone's surprise, he is named chief over some very qualified individuals. COME to find out Felix Sauceda takes the job cause he made an arrangement with the City Manager Bernal he would take a pay cut at a rock bottom price...SAUCEDA, FELIX J 310 - Police Administration $119,999.98.
CITY Manager Bernal now sees the desperation of Sauceda how he can not only control the Police Department but the extra money he cuts from the Police Department he can give give himself a raise..
Great Going Chief Sauceda and city manager Noel Bernal. Y'all have now made yourself look like the total idiots you truly are!
#worstchiefever....
SEE Act#2..
waste of money rebuilding all that stuff at Cummings...just give it to the zoo already.
This career technology administrator is worthless he's not a leader he's a follower he needs to be reassigned put back in the classroom
He misused one and a half million dollars when he was at veterans as a lead teacher now he's in charge of the career technology department it's going to go to hell
This guy is a no no Juan Chavez he's not here for the students or teachers we don't know what his game plan is he just does the talk talk and doesn't do the walk this guy has teachers doing curriculum alignment what a waste of time with his Barbie dolls
This program was started by the behest of la rata pelona when it was the golden rat and everyone listened to it. Think about it how many young adults are mentally ready for the responsibility of a firefighter job. Car insurance for a young man before the age of 21 is sky high because their thoughts at times are irrational. What fire department would hire an 18 year old? Even to drive an 18 wheeler the young man is rarely hired before the age of 21. A esta edad todavia estan tapados. The program was created to be the tit of the rat's minions.
Ahhhhhh BISD. BISD can barely educate kids on their basic math and reading skills and they expect to have students pass the EMT and firefighters exam? Bottom line is that the work ethic is not a priority in B I SD. Yes there are some students that work hard but a big percentage of them feels entitled and BISD just enables that attitude in their students, but also in their administrators and workers at the top.
I don't like any of the past or present BISD School Board Members but this Elizondo asshole is one of the worst.
Sylvia ranks up there as the worst ever remember she's where she belongs. There a couple more that need to be send there.
The BISD circus should do what every circus does, leave town in 5 days. CLOSE IT DOWN AND LEAVE - STOP TAXING US pinches ratas
Lol. BISD couldn’t tweak the passing rate???? They misrepresent the drop out rates by saying students returned to country of origin when students were US citizens and continued to live in the USA. What happened. Are they becoming honest???
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