Angelina College Fire Academy Assistant Coordinator, Steven Arreguin, recently received the Texas Association of Fire Educators (TAFE) 2019 George Hughes Fire Instructor of the Year Award. This award recognizes instructors who have demonstrated or exemplified TAFE goals, objectives and ethics; who have demonstrated the ability to plan, develop and deliver training and education that changes behaviors; who have been deemed as outstanding in their field through a variety of activities; and who have participated in innovative programs, technology or equipment for the fire service.
Arreguin is a graduate of the Angelina College Fire Academy and began his career in the fire service with Nacogdoches Fire & Rescue as a firefighter. He was quickly promoted to driver and then to Captain/Step-Up Battalion Chief. He serves as Station Captain for the Station #5.
Arreguin also serves as the communications officer and is responsible for programming, installing, and maintaining all mobile and handheld devices for fire apparatus and county units when requested. He provides training and serves on the communications committee, which consists of Nacogdoches Police Department, County Volunteer Fire Department, County Emergency Management staff, and dispatch.
As AC Fire Academy Assistant Coordinator, Arreguin coordinates all instructor scheduling, resolves instructor and student issues, instructs various courses in the academy, and serves as the lead instructor for live fire training. He also coordinates the Fire Instructor I and Fire Officer I courses.
Arreguin spends many hours training the Emergency Service District #2 (ESD #2) volunteer firefighters. ESD #2 consist of four volunteer fire departments. Cushing Volunteer Fire Department responds to medical assist calls and fires in ESD #2 until the arrival of city units. For four years Arreguin served as the ESD #2 board president and was in charge of department contracts and distribution of funds to each department.
According to Chuck French, AC Fire Academy Coordinator, Arreguin is an outstanding fire instructor. “Each of his training session is conducted with safety being of utmost importance, with crew integrity in mind, and shaping the minds of individuals seeking the firefighter profession, or firefighters bettering themselves for promotion or serving as a fire officer,” French said.
For more information about the Fire Academy at Angelina College, call (936) 633-5206.
