First responders hone skills during week
First responders from around the country will be in Boerne this week for the National Honor Guard Academy, a weeklong session ending with a mock drill in a funeral setting and at a local cemetery.
The Boerne Independent School District, in conjunction with the Joint Kendall County Honor Guards, will host the academy Sunday through Friday.
The course is designed to teach fire department and public-safety organizations how to develop and enhance honor- and color-guard unit skills.
Rick Goodrich, Boerne ISD’s chief of safety and security, said more than 100 attendees planned to be on hand for the schooling.
“We have become a hub for training and partnering with law-enforcement personnel from around the country, and we’re proud to continue these partnerships,” Goodrich said.
The curriculum is designed to cover basic drills and ceremonies, church and casket protocols, flag etiquette, history and traditions as well as overall planning for funeral appearances.
The Joint Kendall County Honor Guards include members from the Boerne Police Department, the Boerne Fire Department, the Kendall County Sheriff ’s Office and the Kendall County Fire Marshal’s Office/ Office of Emergency Management.
The national academy is recognized for training honor-guard members to deliver “dignified, precise and respectful” ceremonial services, officials said.
Many honor guards are prominent in memorial services for firefighters, paramedics and law-enforcement personnel who lost their lives during the performance of their duties.
Boerne Fire Chief Manny Casarez said honor guards provide one of the most visible and positive images for participating departments.
“Be it a parade, groundbreaking, sporting event or funeral, the presence alone of an honor guard immediately draws attention and raises the formality of the event,” Casarez said.
Because of the varied organizational policies and procedures, the event offers a one-of-a-kind national forum and unique training environment, according to organizers.
“(This) will provide basic guidance for the standardization of training methods, instruction in proper drilling movement, proper techniques, leadership enhancement and team- confidence building,” Casarez said.
Boerne ISD was quick to lend space for the academy’s needs. “We are always here to support our first responders, law- enforcement personnel and military personnel,” said Boerne ISD Superintendent Kristin Craft.
“The focus of the weeklong training deals with managing the traditions, protocols and planning to be utilized should an agency suffer an unfortunate line of duty death of one of its personnel,” Boerne Assistant Fire Chief Walter Ball said.
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