Fort Morgan fire training facility a go

Fire Chief Trae Boehm indicates City Council support of a fire training facility could potentially improve the city’s ISO rating by a point, which might in turn help to lower some home insurance rates.

The low bid from Symtech Fire for construction of the training facility will cost $301,503 with total approved funding by City Council of $600,000 to cover an upgrade to a natural gas system, dirt work, a concrete pad and an 80-foot by 80-foot asphalt pad. The proposal was supported last week by a 6-0 vote of City Council, with City Councilman Clint Anderson unable to attend the meeting because of a work conflict.

“I’m not sure if it would move us any, but it would get us closer to that 3 range,” Boehm said.

“That would be phenomenal for a town of our size.”

The training facility would offer a controlled environment in which to train firefighters, he said.

“When the real thing does come, they are prepared with the training to fight the fire,” Boehm said.

The natural gas feature was preferred by the fire department as a cleaner manner in which to conduct fire trainings. It allows the fire to be “knocked down” and also to prevent the burning of wood or hay, which adds more carcinogens, according to the presentation to City Council.

The facility, upon construction, could allow for more regional trainings, Boehm said in response to City Councilman Doug Schossow.

He explained that not only was Symtech Fire the low bid, but it also fit a better timetable for the fire department.

“The timeframe was a huge factor,” he said, explaining another bidder would have needed 10 to 14 months to complete construction. “This Symtech Fire is 6-8 months, so we could have this up and running by October.”

The asphalt pad would allow firefighters to train and still keep gear and apparatus clean and “out of the mud,” Boehm said, which is not always the case in an actual firefighting event, he added.