Fire District, Chemeketa to Share Regional Training Facility

Government agencies are seldom credited with operating in a logical, well-thought-out manner. That is why the Directors of Fire District No.1 and Chemeketa community College are all smiles and handshakes regarding their latest joint endeavor.

The College and District have engaged in talks that would move the Chemeketa Fire Training Program to the Regional Training Facility in Brooks, along with Criminal Justice and Emergency Medical Services Training. This proposal truly breathes the life of efficiency into both agencies, freeing up valuable campus space at the college while making the best use of the existing training grounds at Brooks.

Due to the need for expansion of the campus program, combined with the encroachment of residential areas around the college and ever-increasing threat of annexation, the college has been somewhat limited in their ability to expand the program to meet today's needs. The Fire Districts' Regional Training Facility provided the perfect solution, with adequate room, state of the art training props and equipment, realistic fire buildings, and underground rescue areas designed to meet the needs of today's high performance fire training.

It's not free to the college however. Because the District originally built the facility, and is in need of a new station at Brooks, the agreement includes a new fire station to replace the current Brooks station paid for by the College. The site of the current station will become part of the college campus. The College will also provide for all the District's firefighter training needs for the next 20 years, with future options, making the deal very attractive for the District.