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There’s no substitute for hands-on training.
That’s according to Mike Lingenfelser, assistant chief of the Leavenworth Fire Department.
Right now, the department relies a lot on books and training films. The department does utilize vacant houses for training purposes when they’re made available.
But firefighters soon should have a permanent training facility behind Leavenworth’s Fire Station No. 1 on 20th Street.
Leavenworth city commissioners recently approved a $205,290 bid from Julius Kaaz Construction for the construction of what is being called the Leavenworth Public Safety Training Facility.
Lingenfelser said the Leavenworth Fire Department won’t be the only agency using the structure. It will be open to other city departments such as the police.
He said the training structure itself will come from American Fire Training Systems. It will be made up of inter-model steel building units, or what he described as shipping containers.
The structure will include a 40-foot tower. Lingenfelser said this tower can be used by firefighters to train with equipment such as ladders and ropes.
Firefighters plan to use another part of the structure for training in rooms filled with smoke. This part of the structure has a pivoting wall as well as connections for the easy installation and removal of temporary walls. This enables firefighters to change a floor plan during training.
“If they go left one time, the next time there may be a wall there,” Lingenfelser said.
He said this is important because firefighters typically don’t know the floor plans of homes when they’re responding to calls.
The smoke used during the training will be generated by a machine and non-toxic.
“But visibility will be limited,” Lingenfelser said.
He said Fire Department officials want to expose firefighters to potentially stressful scenarios during training to prepare them for when they have to make real-life decisions.
“They can rely on their instinct and training to make split decisions,” he said.
The building also will have a storage area the Fire Department can use to hold training props. The structure will have a carport area where Lingenfelser said the department can park trailers.
He said a training facility had been submitted as part of the budget process for the city’s Capital Improvements Program as far back as 2000.
Lingenfelser said Fire Department officials had started with a more elaborate, and more expensive, facility. Officials decided to change the concept a few years ago and were able to save about $400,000.
Ground has not yet been broken for the project, but Lingenfelser said the training facility should be completed within four months.
There’s no substitute for hands-on training.
That’s according to Mike Lingenfelser, assistant chief of the Leavenworth Fire Department.
Right now, the department relies a lot on books and training films. The department does utilize vacant houses for training purposes when they’re made available.
But firefighters soon should have a permanent training facility behind Leavenworth’s Fire Station No. 1 on 20th Street.
Leavenworth city commissioners recently approved a $205,290 bid from Julius Kaaz Construction for the construction of what is being called the Leavenworth Public Safety Training Facility.
Lingenfelser said the Leavenworth Fire Department won’t be the only agency using the structure. It will be open to other city departments such as the police.
He said the training structure itself will come from American Fire Training Systems. It will be made up of inter-model steel building units, or what he described as shipping containers.
The structure will include a 40-foot tower. Lingenfelser said this tower can be used by firefighters to train with equipment such as ladders and ropes.
Firefighters plan to use another part of the structure for training in rooms filled with smoke. This part of the structure has a pivoting wall as well as connections for the easy installation and removal of temporary walls. This enables firefighters to change a floor plan during training.
“If they go left one time, the next time there may be a wall there,” Lingenfelser said.
He said this is important because firefighters typically don’t know the floor plans of homes when they’re responding to calls.
The smoke used during the training will be generated by a machine and non-toxic.
“But visibility will be limited,” Lingenfelser said.
He said Fire Department officials want to expose firefighters to potentially stressful scenarios during training to prepare them for when they have to make real-life decisions.
“They can rely on their instinct and training to make split decisions,” he said.
The building also will have a storage area the Fire Department can use to hold training props. The structure will have a carport area where Lingenfelser said the department can park trailers.
He said a training facility had been submitted as part of the budget process for the city’s Capital Improvements Program as far back as 2000.
Lingenfelser said Fire Department officials had started with a more elaborate, and more expensive, facility. Officials decided to change the concept a few years ago and were able to save about $400,000.
Ground has not yet been broken for the project, but Lingenfelser said the training facility should be completed within four months.
