Training Tower

We are looking at building a training tower, for ladder training etc. Looking for plans, pictures and ideas.

The only idea/suggestion I would give to you is do not go crazy with a training tower. Stick with a training tower that will match your district. If you are homes don't go with one that is for industrial training or commercial training. That can always be added on down the road. Keep the focus and funds going to a facility that will improve skills on your type of firefighting/rescue/etc.

We built the Fire Facilities two story Probie model with burn room. It has options to build a second burn room on the second floor. We also added the forcible entry training door to the front door.

We can do burns, rescue, rappelling, ventilation, search and rescue, ladders, hose practice,and just about anything else. We have even done EMS training in it.

Good Luck, it is an excellent tool to have.

If everything goes well in my department over the next year, and we end out good at the end of the year I'm going to push my department to find a piece of land in town to build such a structure. Right now our plans are to obtain or buy two shipping containers and place them ontop of eachother, hopefully we can get three to have a complete downstairs area and a smaller upstairs. As we cannot afford a legit burn trailer, were going to make one. I don't have a clue as to what kind of testing or regulation or legalities are in it, but I'll find out once we get that far.

The key features we are looking for is the ability to burn, repel, a scba maze that is able to be modified as the company grows, and a few other things the members have brought up that leaves my memory right now. Honestly go to your membership, they will formulate the ideas, as it will be their training!

We bought the 2 story Fire Facilities tower about 5 years ago. It has been a tremendous tool. There isn't another training tower within 50 miles.

Try checking out Bernalillo County Fire Department in New Mexico. They've gotta pretty nice tour they made. It's pretty inovative.

We have a small prefabbed burn build, by Fire Facilities, the Volunteer II, which we have added 4 shipping containers and a stick built search/vent prop to. if you would like to see more check out my thread about same.



http://www.firehouse.com/forums/t111...raining+ground

Take a look at what you'll use it for - ie, bailout training, ladder work, etc, and build to meet those needs. If you're not lighting fires in it, it just needs to be sturdy and reasonably tolerant of water, assuming you might use it for wet drills.

Remember that inexpensive plastic-framed windows are exactly that, and will withstand only so much abuse before they die.

You might consider "plumbing" it with some 4" plastic pipe that you can use to channel smoke from a smoke machine to different areas.

A nice feature of the MFRI tower in La Plata, MD is the ability to simulate a basement fire. There is a sizable "mezzanine" from which to enter the tower and go downstairs.

Give yourself room for something of a maze. That way you can use it during the winter. Not to mention you're not worried about messing up a nicer classroom or other such facility.

We have a separate vent prop at our county training facility that can also serve as shelter from sun or rain, away from the tower, as well as home to a forcible entry prop and other such equipment.