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Ben Salas (505) 834-9120 Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920

July 13, 2001

ZIA PUEBLO FIRE CHIEF ASSUMES DUAL ROLE ON GERMANY TRIP

Benjamin Salas, Jemez Valley Public Schools board member, recently visited Germany to learn about the dual vocational educational system in place in that country. Paula Papponi, superintendent, and fellow board members Michael Metz and Dennis Trujillo, accompanied Salas.

The trip, organized by the University of New Mexico's Atlantic Bridge on the Camino Real Program, gave participants the opportunity to look at how the German school system provides vocational training to high school age students who choose to pursue a trade rather than a university level education. Educators and others interested in alternative educational programs took part.

While in the county of Kreis Neuss, located between Cologne and Dusseldorf in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, Salas, who also serves as chief of the Zia Pueblo Fire Department, made time to meet with his firefighting counterpart in Neuss. Chief Reinhart Seebrücker gave him a tour of the station and command center, took him to one of the smaller volunteer stations and treated him to lunch. During the visit they exchanged patches.

A communication barrier that got the tour off to a rocky start disappeared when they came together over the universal language of the firefighting equipment. Then, Seebrücker relaxed into his English and they were conversant. He explained to Salas how many of their minor calls go out over the computer to keep the air traffic down. He also took him out to see the "Einsatzleitung," or remote command center. "The red light on top lets the helicopter know where the scene commander is," he explained.

"This was a highlight of my trip," says Salas, adding, "I wish I brought my uniform to wear for this visit."

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