For the past 60 years, one week in late spring has been the time the Butler County Fire Chief's Association has conducted its fire school.

That tradition will continue this weekend.

Mark Lauer, president of the chief's association, said much has changed since the school began in 1951.

“It's come a long way,” Lauer said.

The school started when the Butler County Firemen's Association formed a committee, which eventually created the school. Later on, the fire chief's association took over.

The school trains firefighters in how to deal with the dangerous situations that they encounter when fighting fires.

Safety is the number one priority, Lauer said.

“That's why we train,” he said. “We want everyone to go home. That's the ultimate goal.”

In honor of the school's 60th anniversary, a banquet is planned for Saturday evening.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, and state Sen. Tim Solobay, D-46th, will attend. Solobay is the chief of the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department.

With 60 years under its belt, the school has a long legacy, something that Bill Walters knows well since he attended the first session.

He was 21 years old at the time and had been on the Butler City fire crew for six months when the chief at the time, Joe Langland, told him: “You will be there.”

At that time, the class lasted for five evenings on a baseball field in Evans City. Card tables set up on the field were used as desks.

“It was very primitive, very basic,” Walters recalled.

About 100 students attended that session. It cost $1 per night.

Now, on average, 425 students attend each class. The biggest class was 640.

Walters served in fire departments for 42 years, retiring as the chief of the VA Hospital's fire department. During his time as an officer, seven people who worked under him went on to become chiefs.

“That's my legacy,” Walters said.

He attended nearly every session until he retired.

“It gets in your blood,” he said.

Even today, Walters said he keeps a scanner on 24 hours a day.

Since the beginning, quite a few things about the school have changed.

In 1971, it changed from five evenings to a full weekend.

The school switched from the ballfield to the Butler County Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township and then to Butler County Community College.

In the late 1980s, the school moved to Slippery Rock University because it had outgrown the facilities at BC3.

Many classes came back to BC3 in 2002, when it opened its public safety facility.

“I'm just so happy with that,” Lauer said. “We're all proud of that.”

Lauer said every fire department in the county had a hand in getting the facility built. Now BC3 is working on getting a platform at the facility to train for Marcellus Shale natural gas incidents.

The techniques that are used in the school have changed as well.

When the school began, instructors could use accelerants, such as gasoline, when training with live fire. Now, they cannot.

Despite those limitations, John Stokes, treasurer of the chief's association, said live fire is still an important part of the training.

“They have to put the wet stuff on the red stuff,” Stokes said.

Stokes said classroom sessions have changed, too. Now, computer presentations are very common.

“When I started going, the best we had were flip charts,” Stokes said.

Lauer said the chief's association spends $30,000 to $40,000 annually planning the school.

BC3 also helps out, paying for 90 percent of the instructor's costs.

“The college has been a very integral part of the training activities,” Stokes said.

About 420 students are expected to attend this weekend, each paying $60. Most are from Butler County, but there are some coming from as far away as Erie County, Washington County, and even Virginia.

The school will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a Friday evening session for instructors.

Classes will take place mainly at BC3 and SRU, but there will be classes in Cranberry Township, Petrolia and Harrisville.

Lauer said the success of the fire school has helped start other fire schools.

“Our school is very well known,” Lauer said.