Fire Training facility receiving new equipment
New equipment will soon be coming to the Kingsport Fire Department’s training facility, which will enhance the training opportunities for local and regional firefighters while saving them time in getting back on the job.
The department’s fire training facility is located on Horsecreek Lane off Wilcox Drive and includes a burn building, a maze trailer and a scraped vehicle – all of which are used to replicate real-life situations firefighters face, such as a house fire, a roof ventilation or a vehicle extrication.
Kingsport cut the ribbon on the facility in December 2015 and work is currently underway on its latest addition – an 80 by 80 building with classroom space, a couple of offices, a kitchenette and restrooms.
KFD Captain Shea Payne, who also serves as the department’s fire facilities coordinator, said the new classroom should be up and running in March.
“This will give us lot of versatility,” Payne said. “We can do outside drills, have multiple classes going at once and there’s a 20 by 80 porch, so we could actually have three different things happening down there at once.”
But that’s not all that’s new at the facility.
Kingsport has earmarked $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the purchase of a cascade system and fire props for the fire training facility.
A cascade system allows firefighters to replenish their air packs right after training, rather than having to do so back at the station. This will save time and allow the firefighters to go right back into service after leaving the training grounds.
The fire props – a metal replica car and a dumpster – are ignited at the facility with either a propane or natural gas system, which allows firefighters to attack them just like they would any other vehicle fire.
Payne said he hopes to have the new equipment on hand by late spring to early summer.
“The facility will be all encompassing. You’ve got technical rescue, a smoke building with live fire training, controlled burn props, and a classroom facility,” Payne said. “The options and opportunities this whole thing provides is going to be one of the best in the state.”
