Smoke poured out of the structure, as Rincon firefighters began assembling hoses, ladders and chainsaws — all to show the citizens what the investment in sales taxes provides.
The Rincon Fire Department unveiled its new training center, putting on a demonstration for those in attendance at Sunday’s ribbon cutting. The department already has employed the structure, with firefighters having gone through several training sessions since last month.
“We use it just about every Tuesday night for smoke drills and our search and rescue,” said Rincon Fire Chief Corey Rahn. “This is a state of the art facility that has all the training props that are required for simulating most any emergency or rescue situation for not only a residential structure, but also a commercial building and an industrial warehouse.”
The cost of the fire training facility was approximately $240,000. To build one from the ground up would have cost about $1 million, according to Chief Rahn. Fire Training Structures International, based in Phoenix, Ariz., takes shipping containers and turns them into fire training facilities. The company takes the hollow boxes and installs the fire department’s training props.
Temperatures in some of the burn rooms can reach 1,200 degrees, and the firefighters can simulate any bedroom or bathroom, Rahn said. There’s also a garage door scenario involved, and firefighters can learn how to put out a fire downstairs and attack a fire on floor above. They also can learn how to attack a fire in a basement.
So far, Rincon’s fire corps has gone through three live burns in the facility.
“It’s fully-engineered and OSHA-approved,” Rahn said. “The training has been tremendous. All of the training is going to help the residents more than it helps the department. The more training we get, the lower our ISO rating goes. The better we’re trained, it lowers our ISO. And when it lowers our ISO, it lowers insurance premiums.”
Rincon Mayor Ken Lee said the new training facility is indicative of the fire department’s growth. Once an all-volunteer force, the Rincon Fire Department now has five full-time paid firefighters, in addition to nearly 45 volunteers.
“Our department is continuing to grow and continuing to become more effective and better serve the citizens of this city,” Lee said. “We are very, very proud of them. And part of that is being able to provide the equipment so they can be the department they need.”
City Council member Paul Wendelken, a former volunteer firefighter, expressed his appreciation for the city’s firefighters. The Rincon Fire Department covers the city and also has an area of coverage beyond the city limits. It also responds to mutual aid calls and has gone as far as Waycross to assist units battling forest fires.
“I’ve got a special place in my heart for the fire department,” Wendelken said. “We don’t get this opportunity much to tout our fire department and our volunteers. They don’t get enough recognition and credit, and I for one would like for them to get their due.”
Rahn has been with the department for more than 25 years and has seen it grow from operating one station, where the Hinely Community Center is now, with two engines and semi for a tanker truck. The chief now oversees two stations, with a third one planned, with four engines, one pumper/tanker, one ladder truck and three rescue/service trucks.
And the fire department’s vehicles are expensive — Wendelken pointed out the ladder truck, purchased in 2000, cost $372,000. The fire training facility was paid for through special purpose local option sales tax proceeds, and Rahn thanked the taxpayers for their support.
“The city of Rincon is proud to unveil this new training facility,” said the chief, who also offered his gratitude to city council members and administration. “We know it will benefit the residents, business owners, industries and warehouses in our area.”
Inside the city limits, the fire department has an ISO rating of 5. The ISO rating is 9 for those more than 1,000 feet away from a fire hydrant.
But the new facility can lead to better and more trained firefighters, city leaders said, and that means a lower ISO rating. The lower the ISO rating, the lower homeowners’ insurance premiums are.
The city’s fire department has the trucks and equipment it will need for the foreseeable future, Wendelken said. The next step, he said, would be adding personnel.
“Council is trying to get that as low as possible,” he said. “Homeowners and businesses will see a decrease in their insurance, if we can get that lowered. All this equipment is for the betterment of the community and our citizens.”
