School board approves firefighter training facility proposal

FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue Regional School District board approved the concept of a regional firefighter training facility on school property at Tuesday’s meeting, following a presentation by the chief of Farmington Fire Rescue.

Chief Terry Bell and others had originally proposed the installation of a training facility as part of the Mt. Blue Campus school construction project. The facility would benefit the high school’s firefighting program, which trains students in the various requirements of the Firefighter I and II program, as well as live training for department firefighters. It could also benefit law enforcement agencies.

While lots of classroom preparation and trial exercises precede a student participating in live training, Bell said that the live fire experience was crucial.

“You need to feel what it’s like going into a burning room,” Bell said. “The equipment is heavy, you’re sweating because of the heat and reacting differently because of the adrenaline. “It’s an experience.”

Phillips Fire Department is the nearest facility, consisting of a two-story, cement brick house used by the various county departments. Previously, fire departments made more use of soon-to-be-demolished structures, Bell said, but new demolition restrictions relating to things like lead paint and asbestos complicated those burns.

Bell envisions a larger facility on school property, located a ways down Seamon Road and away from the main campus. As proposed, the facility would sit upon a 10,000 square-foot gravel pad and consist of a structure incorporating elements of different buildings, from a two-story residence to a commercial business to a tower that would allow firefighters to simulate dragging hoses to a fourth floor. There would be no internal elements, such as wiring, and the windows and doors would be metal to create what Bell jokingly referred to as a “firefighter-proof building.”

In addition to student and adult firefighters, Bell said, the facility could provide a safe place for law enforcement agencies to conduct their tactical training. It would give departments the ability to conduct training exercises on the fly, Bell said, rather than weeks or months in advance.

A facility built by a company specializing in this sort of construction would cost between $200,000 and $300,000, Bell said. Other communities had constructed facilities for less, making use of resources such as Mt. Blue Campus’ building trades program.

In either case, Bell said he was committed to funding the building through private donations and grants, rather than taxpayer money raised through the local assessment.

According to Superintendent Thomas Ward, the district would likely own the land and building, with the department providing maintenance.

Following the board’s vote, Bell said, the next step was to secure state Department of Environmental Protection and town planning board approval. Following that, school administrators and members of the campus’ forestry program would walk the site and clear approximately an acre of trees. The department would then be free to begin looking at funding construction.

“We definitely want to do it right so it lasts a long time,” Bell said. “The biggest step is to find the funding to do it all.”

Members of local fire and law enforcement departments are looking into grants. Anyone looking to support the concept should contact the fire department.

“I really do think there’s a big need for it,” Bell said. “The better we train our firefighters, the better they’re going to be able to deal with things that happen in the field.”