The facility cost approximately $12,000. The Chehalis Fire Department paid $8,000, while Lewis County Fire District 6 provided $4,000.
Lewis County now has its first regional training facility in the area, designed to give area firefighters a more realistic way to train close to home.
The Chehalis Fire Department, with help from Lewis County Fire District 6, recently purchased three shipping containers retrofitted to resemble a home on the interior.
According to an update provided by Fire Chief Ken Cardinale at the Chehalis City Council meeting this week, the facility will provide a structure for joint training. Prior to the facility, the fire departments relied heavily on building donations to do active fire trainings.
The containers resemble a two story home and is equipped with stairwells. The exterior of the building will have an adjustable roof prop so firefighters can train on ventilation tactics without the threat of getting seriously injured, Cardinale said.
The facility will allow for several different training techniques such as search and rescue, and force entry. Cardinale said the facility will reduce on-the-job injuries, and said the department can later expand it as needed.
The containers are equipped with holes for doors and windows which will be donated through Home Depot and Palmer Lumber, Cardinale said.
“It’s going to provide better training in the region and we are real proud of it,” he said.
The facility cost approximately $12,000. The Chehalis Fire Department paid $8,000, while Lewis County Fire District 6 provided $4,000.
The facility is located on property shared with the Chehalis wastewater treatment plant.
Due to the proximity to the airport, there will be no live burns conducted at the facility because smoke plumes could interfere with pilot landing. Instead, Cardinale said, they will use smoke generation machines to simulate the environment of a live burn. He said the heat from the sun hitting the containers will help create realistic conditions.
