Facility Features

Main Training Tower

The largest structure at the training center is the 4 story training tower. Primarily built from stacked Intermodal containers in a 3-2-1 configuration and completed with a stick frame construction. The building is 40 feet by 40 feet, has 3 internal floors and roof work areas. The 4-story training tower is designed with multiple internal and external props to accommodate various scenarios. Some of them are:

• On the outside, the South side resembles a residential unit with garage door that can be cut to gain access into the garage.
• Steel decking with stairs to the 2nd and 3rd floors and ladder access to the roof.
• From the 2nd and 3rd floors responders can utilize a 2 inch pipe to escape to ground level.
• In addition to all of these capabilities the steel deck structure also includes a rappelling tower that provides 4 different props.
• The west side is a flat wall, the north side resembles a free rappel (like a Black Hawk), the south side is also a free rappel with the addition of a helicopter skid (designed off a Huey) and the fourth option is a removable plate in the center of the deck allowing a 27 foot vertical drop through the floor.
• The West side is designed to resemble a high-rise apartment complex, it provides multiple windows of different sizes, roof access, a balcony and building construction visual cues.
• Also on this side is a caged ladder from the ground to the roof and a gas meter with a functional shut off valve that can be connected to an LP source for hazardous materials meter training.
• The North side includes a small roof that provides access to the second floor. This prop can be used for victim rescue, fire fighting or tactical SWAT operations.
• From the roof of the main steel structure on the north end responders can rappel down and perform tactical entries or victim rescues. Available for use!
• The north side of the structure includes a forcible entry door frame. The forcible entry prop provides a location for emergency services to perfect blunt force and pry operations.
• The east side houses the 40 feet by 17 feet by 17 feet bay, this bay can be utilized as a classroom if needed. It also provides an indoor area for responders to practice second story access and bailout training (with overhead safety lines). Additional mobile props such as residential LP gas cylinders, electrical service entrance, vehicle, and noncombustible furniture add to the realism of the practical scenarios.

Interior Layout

On the inside, access is possible through exterior or interior (from the bay) doors. The first and second floors resemble any home U.S.:

• The first floor is configured with a garage including a car split in half, kitchen, master bedroom and bath, living room, stairwell to the second floor and the master control room. The interior stairwells are designed with closet space and breach wall areas. Each floor has smoke available adding to the realistic scenarios.
• The second floor houses two bedrooms, a nursery, bathroom, dayroom, Denver and Nance drills, mayday trainer and stairwell to the third floor. Access to the attic is provided on the second floor by two scuttles, one represents trusses set at 2 foot on center and the other represents 16 inch on center. Bailout training is available into the bay through a 2 foot, 3 foot and 4 foot windows. The second floor has 7 different locations with breach walls training areas. Available for use!
• The third floor contains the confidence course and access to the roof via the outside ladder. The confidence course is designed to allow the instructor the ability to change the path by inserting panels, removing floor sections and closing or opening doors. It also has several built in pass throughs built tough enough to handle the abuse. The third floor also houses the attic area the can be accessed from below (2nd floor) or via an attic doorway. Available for use!
• The entire structure is receiving an audio and video upgrade soon. Each room including the closets will be wired for sound and several areas will be configured for video monitoring through the control room. The sound option will allow the instructor to patch in audio ranging from a crying child to the sounds of a working fire.

Tower Rescue Props

A pair of on site towers, one a 72 foot self supporting and the other a 140 foot guyed tower provide a two step training program. The 72 foot tower is located at the North West corner of the main training tower. Its location allows an instructor to stand on top of the main structure and talk with the students while performing a tower rescue. The 140 foot tower is located near the north east corner of the property. Once the instructor believes the students are ready they will be required to complete a rescue at a height designated by the instructor. The 72 foot is stood to 50 foot and has already been used for training!

Live Fire Buildings

The flash over trainer is designed to allow fire fighters to learn how to control the environment and thus reducing the possibility of a flash over. Available for use!

Future additions to this area include a hall crawler to provide a feel of realistic interior structural fire fighting operations using Class A materials. This will allow students to develop the confidence and proficiency in structural firefighting needed for their survival.

Future buildings will be designed and built specifically for firefighters and fire arson investigators to investigate fire scenes in order to determine cause and origin of suspicious and incendiary fires.

LP Gas Field

The LP gas field will have a variety of Liquefied Petroleum gas props to train responders. Props will include, gas meters, household barbeque grill, liquid burn pans, 500 gallon LP tank, pipe flanges, car fires and even a propane delivery truck. To ensure safe control over each evolution, the props are operated from an observation platform that provides for an elevated view complete with additional safety shut-off features.

Industrial Area / Hazardous Materials Field

The industrial area sits adjacent to the LP Gas field and is feed with LP from the same system. It's designed to allow evolutions ranging from fire control on a commercial bobtail to liquid/pneumatic leak control on a semi tanker and piping systems. Plans include a second floor for hazardous materials teams to conduct spill/leak control on overhead tanks, pipes and valves. Responders will be able to recognize hazards, establish perimeters, and complete required emergency operations on actual devices.

Ventilation Trainers

Ventilation training it taught on one of several props constructed on the west side of the facility. The largest has a 12 foot by 12 foot, flat and a 4 foot by 12 foot pitch options and also includes a 6 foot parapet wall.

Sprinkler Training

The sprinkler trainer has been added under the 12 feet by 12 feet pitch vent trainer. Multiple sprinkler heads and types allow responders to practice water control on flowing heads before they are required to do it for real.

Pond & Drafting Site

The pond provides a setting for firefighters to perfect water supply operations and flow large amounts of water, while allowing for the return of the water back to the pond as a method of conserving this vital resource. During construction it was determined that a dual hydrant system would be installed to accommodate future large volume pumping apparatus. This area has already been used by departments as a way to pump test their apparatus locally instead of driving equipment hours away and having it out of service for a day or more. On the bottom divers will find a 24 foot cabin cruiser and a 4 door car along with a few other surprises. Water rescue training is also among the training opportunities available; water, ice and overhead victim rescue all can be conducted in a controlled environment.

The Woods

At each end of the pond are several poles that have been laid out to represent trees along the waters edge. Two poles are centered at each end near the waters edge that have been connected with steel structure to represent a crotch in a tree. Rescuers must rig a tensioned highline system just as they would over a river and then send a rescuer out (one of the docks can be untied, a victim loaded on and then tied off in the middle of the water) to recover a trapped victim.

Confined Space

The confined space props are constructed using concrete pipe, cubes and other materials. Starting on top of a 15 foot vertical tube the responder will enter the underground maze and perform what ever operation the scenario requires.

Collapse / Rubble Pile

The collapse/rubble pile allows search operations representing a structure that has collapsed due to and earthquake or other event that has caused a structural failure.

Trench Rescue Area

Initial trench rescue operations are carried out between concrete walls allowing much safer training evolutions to familiarize the students with the equipment. Once the students have mastered the use of the equipment the instructor has the option of digging a live trench. The students will be taught several ways to shore trenches, the different types of extrication techniques, proper rescue site management, as well as the proper safety concepts needed to complete a safe and successful rescue.

Search City

Search City is an area designed to represent a small community, its design will allow police, fire and EMS responders a place to train in a community setting. From searching for lost children or radiological sources to tactical SWAT operations, the structures will be set up to represent main street USA with stores and vehicles. The area will consist of several structures resembling businesses.

Located in the North West corner of the training facility the city will occupy 44000 square feet or just over 1 acre. With roadway access through town, responders will be able to even respond in emergency vehicles for realistic training. A static roadway will allow the placement of fixed training assets such as a tractor-trailer, commercial bus plus additional vehicles. This community is designed to allow children to be taught bicycle, sidewalk and general street safety.

Visit the Search City page for more information.

RXR Crossing & Rail Car

The addition of a rail road crossing at the east entrance to Search City provides another training opportunity for responders and the public. Year after year people are lost due to improper crossing usage, this prop provides a training tool to educate responders and the public on what they should do to stay safe. Located on the track, a rail car can be utilized as a tactical prop for law enforcement or as a hazardous materials prop for all responders.

Grain Bin Rescue

The grain bin rescue area consists of two trainers. One is a 4 foot high by 6 foot bin that allows responders to get a feel of what its like to be in moving grain. The second is a functional grain bin designed to teach responders how to open up a bin to drain the grain to rescue/recover a victim.

K9 Training

Space is reserved at the training center for several props specifically designed for K9s. Of course every training area is also available for K9 officers to use.

Tactical Physical Training Area

Space is reserved at the north east corner of the property for a military style log obstacle course.

Future Developments

Space is reserved at the practical Training Grounds for confined space rescue props, disaster city, airplane crash simulation, and urban search and rescue simulations.