- By Dan Veaner
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Lansing Fire Department officials say that a $190,000 training tower could be ready for use late this summer. The fire-proof building behind Lansing Central Station on Ridge Road will be used for live training scenarios, dealing with smoke and fire when entering a building, and state certification exercises. Officials say they expect the facility will be used to train neighboring fire departments as well as Lansing firefighters.
"They're starting to insulate the burn room," says Deputy Chief Brad George. "They said that would take ten days. I think they will turn it over to us in the next 15 to 20 days. There's a small training session that we have to go through to learn to use the temperature sensors and things like that."
The project has been under consideration for eight years. Officials say the money was allocated for the project before it went out to bid, so no additional taxes will be required. The tower is being erected on an existing training slab that has been used largely for vehicle fire training up until now. Vehicle training will continue to be held there.
Training towers are used to recreate nearly any real life situation firefighters may encounter. Among the tasks firefighters will simulate are are hose advancement, fire attack, ventilation, search and rescue, laddering and rappelling, roof penetration, halo training, and working in confined spaces. The Lansing tower is a modest model that includes several features to simulate every kind of fire emergency except for vehicle fires. The main feature is the fire-proof burn room in which enclosed fire and smoke scenarios can be rehearsed. It is equipped with temperature monitors to better control training scenarios. The tower also has interior stairs, a balcony on the second floor, and a ship's ladder on the exterior, as well as a ladder on the second floor that leads to the roof. Windows have steel shutters, and a roof chop-out-curb for ventilation exercises.
Training in a tower is part of the Firefighter I requirement for all New York firefighters. The Firefighter I course is only offered at certain times of year, but, because Lansing has at least three state certified instructors, new recruits will be able to begin their practical training as soon as they join the department. The new tower provides a new option for neighboring departments as well, which will take some of the pressure off of the scheduling of the Ithaca tower located next to the Newman Municipal Golf Course and across from Stewart Park.
George says he hopes the tower will be ready for use some time in August.
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