SAUGATUCK, MI—On Aug. 28, a new collaborative live fire training facility will be unveiled in Saugatuck.
The facility's use will be shared by seven different departments in the Southwest Michigan area, allowing the departments to train for real fire scenarios in a hotter, more realistic environment.
"It's the first one in Allegan County, and to our knowledge, there's not another facility that's a collaborative resource," Saugatuck Fire Chief Greg Janik said of the new training grounds. "This training facility allows us to train in a hot environment with smoke as well. You train and condition people to trust the equipment, and you can't do that unless you have live fire."
Janik said that this new facility will be especially helpful for mutual aid departments, or those who share resources and respond with firefighters in neighboring communities because they're short staffed.
The new live fire training facility, located at 3342 Blue Star Highway in Saugatuck, will feature multiple realistic rooms for firefighters to train in, including a simulated kitchen. According to Janik, it also comes equipped with a slew of safety features so firefighters can get acclimated to extreme temperatures without putting themselves at risk.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and is free and open to the public. Anyone who would like more information about the event can contact Chief Greg Janik at 616-836-6266 or [email protected].
———
©2019 Holland Sentinel, Mich.
Visit Holland Sentinel, Mich. at www.hollandsentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
