Union County Firefighters Train Under Real Fire Conditions at Department-Built Facility

(Photo by Union County Fire & Rescue)

Staff Report

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Training is important, especially in emergency situations when seconds count and lives may be on the line. One of the major areas of training Union County Fire & Rescue performs is live fire training.

Firefighters can learn in the classroom about fire conditons, low visibility, heat, and extinguishing techniques for a structure fire. Training with live fire conditions allows them to experience a fire firsthand.

Live fire training is only possible in facilities designed and constructed for that purpose. The building must be realistic, able to handle multiple live fire evolutions, and provide a relatively safe learning environment. Union County Fire Department is fortunate to have such a facility.

The Union County Fire Department Training Facility was a major objective of the department’s strategic plan and was completely paid for with SPLOST funds. Construction began in 2018. Phase I involved grading the land and preparing the pad for the storage containers. Phase II assembled those containers into a building and completed the renovations needed to turn them into a training facility. Most of the construction and renovations were done by members of the Union County Fire Department.

The main purpose of Phase II was to construct a facility that meets requirements for live fire training under NFPA 1403 and Insurance Services Office (ISO) standards. That requires a three-story building, a smoke room, and a live fire room. The completed facility has two live fire rooms — one on the first level and one on the second level. It also has its own water supply and hydrants. Blairsville City Water helped provide the water lines, and Notla Water donated the hydrants.

The training facility includes props and equipment for other firefighting and rescue work. Firefighters train on search and rescue, ladders, ropes, survival, forcible entry, pump operations, and more. Having the facility on site enhances almost every aspect of department training.

Union County Fire Department is proud of the training facility. It enables the department to train career and volunteer firefighters, especially new recruits, in the many firefighting skills that keep crews prepared and help lower the ISO rating. Officials said they are most proud of being able to host other fire departments that conduct training at the Union County facility.