Structure to provide firefighters training space for a variety of emergencies...
The town of Watson Lake, Yukon, has a new place for its fire department to train in a simulated environment, facing a variety of situations they would otherwise have to travel long distances for.
With financial support from the territorial government, the municipality purchased the multi-room, two-storey training facility. "I think in general people are really excited," said Julia Staudt, trainer and firefighter with the Watson Lake Fire Department. "I think there's a level of pride because there isn't a lot of them [training facilities] in the territory."
This facility is the fifth in the territory. Staudt said the Whitehorse Fire Department, the Ibex Valley Volunteer Fire Department and the Dawson City Fire Department each have a "small burn building", and the Yukon Fire Marshal has something called a "mobile live fire unit trailer."
Staudt said having the new facility will save her department's firefighters from travelling nearly five hours to practice simulated interior and exterior fire response, firefighter survival training and structural rescues and recoveries.
Cam Lockwood, the town's chief administrative officer said a facility like the one in Watson Lake can cost upward of $300,000 dollars depending on how many "bells and whistles" are put into it.
He said the territory put up $245,000 dollars for this one. "The building can be staged with fold out walls, metal furniture so it simulates like it's a real house or a building that the firefighters are going into," he said.
Lockwood said the facility will not only create a space for first responders to grow their abilities, but it could bring economic growth for the whole community.
Lockwood said work inside of the structure is still underway but he anticipates it will be ready for use in the coming weeks.
"We can run training here in the community and have other communities come to us," Lockwood said. "Which in turn, books hotel rooms and meals and restaurants. So it's a win-win for the community all the way around. "
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