Port Coquitlam firefighters will no longer have to travel to conduct live-fire training exercises.
A new burn building was unveiled at Fire Hall No. 1 on Wednesday and officials said it will dramatically improve the department's training regimen.
PoCo Fire Chief Nick Delmonico said having the facility on site allows emergency crews more time and opportunity to learn the skills they need to do their job.
"The more you do it, the more the techniques are involved," said Delmonico. "You get safer at it and better at it."
The steel structure is made out of shipping containers and includes three specially designed burn rooms that have been coated with fire-resistant concrete. There are several indoor staircases and two large decks on the second and third floors, which can be accessed through the building or by ladder from the ground.
So far, the facility has held 10 live burns but the building serves several other training purposes.
Hose and pump practice, confined space rescues, officer command training and fire smoke and heat theory training can be conducted at the burn building, which can also be used for hazardous material training, warehouse entries and other techniques that are still in development.
Plans for an additional burn room and a simulated kitchen for fire extinguisher training are also in the works.
The structure cost the city $165,000 but assistant fire chief Allan Nicholson said some of that money can be recouped through renting out the facility to neighbouring departments. That will also give PoCo firefighters an opportunity to train with some of their counterparts in different communities, something that will be beneficial during mutual aid incidents that require resources from different departments at one location.
PoCo fire crews respond to an average of 152 fires a year - one every 2.4 days - ranging from grass fires to vehicle and building fires. The most common fires, according to Nicholson, involve one of the city's more than 300 walk-up apartments, making the live burn building even more significant for crew training.
For more information about Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services go to www.portcoquitlam.ca/fire.
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
