Published: May 13, 2008 01:37 pm            

PTC Fire Training facility to be enhanced

Ada — Almost $300,000 dollars have been put towards enhancing the Fire Training facility in Ada’s Pontotoc Technology Center, State Senator Susan Paddack said during a press conference Monday morning.

Paddack said the money will provide for new training opportunities, equipment upgrades and other necessities that will help to make the facility comparable to the top three volunteer firefighter training facilities in the state.

The funds will be distributed and managed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. According to a press release from Paddack, the funds will “... allow the Fire Training Center to build additional instructional classrooms, add a pump testing station, purchase new emergency radios for use during live burns, and fire training and participation in enhanced training for firefighters, both municipal and volunteer, in the area, and allow those same fire officials to test for their OSU Firefighter I Certification all at the Ada facility.

“We know that this investment will be an investment that will have tremendous results on improving the quality of firefighter training here in the Ada area,” said PTC superintendent Greg Pierce. Pierce said with the new abilities now available at the PTC facility, volunteer firefighters can now get training essential to their jobs without having to go to Stillwater to get it. “This will make a tremendous impact on our ability to provide quality firefighter training,” he said.

“This is not a reoccurring cost that we are receiving today,” Pierce said. “This cost will be an investment, and is one in which we will all see a tremendous return. We are not going back to the Legislature for reoccurring costs for that facility. Pontotoc Technology Center has the resources, and we will take care of those reoccurring costs.



"That makes this investment an excellent investment for our community and for this state.”

Pierce said that his vision for the facility is one where volunteer firefighters come from all across the state to take advantage of the site’s training certification. Specialized training would also be an area of focus. “For example, last year we had building collapse training here at the Pontotoc Technology Center,” he said. “It’s the only technology center that I know of in the state or area that had that particular type of specialized training. All of us here in Oklahoma remember the Murrah bombing and it’s collapse, and tornados and the damage that’s been caused.” Disasters like those provide compelling examples of why training firefighters on how to rescue people in collapsed structures is essential.

“This is exciting news not only for the Ada community, but also for all surrounding communities who will be served better by these much needed training opportunities,” Paddack said in the press release. “The Fire Training center at the Pontotoc Technology Center trains those on the front lines of fire emergencies across this state and enhancing the center will truly serve to make our communities safer places to live, work, and raise a family.”

        

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