North Branford Fire department to dedicate new training facility

Nov. 14--NORTH BRANFORD -- As a way to improve the fire department's resources, training and emergency communications, town volunteer firefighters are slated to have access to a new training facility.

The state-of-the-art, pre-engineered, steel constructed structure is a 2 1/2 story burn building that is attached to a three-story training tower. The training facility, which comes with a $370,000 price tag, was part of a town bond project, according to a news release.

The town appropriated $20,000 a few years ago to initiate plans to facilitate the project. In addition, $350,000 was approved by the Town Council in a road bonding package during the 2015-16 fiscal year to fund the construction of the facility.

The new facility is set to be dedicated on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. at its site, 290 Forest Road.

The fire department was able to keep costs within budget since staff acted as the general contractor, purchased the building materials, bid the assembly and maintained a constant presence on-site.

The town sought to construct a training facility in 2014 after the Insurance Services awarded the department an ISO rating of 4/4Y. The department lost valuable points in the areas of emergency communications dispatching and training, according to the release.

However, the department's rating has a direct effect on the fire insurance costs borne by commercial and residential property owners.

"The State of Connecticut continues to make budgetary reductions to regional fire schools, this has a dramatic long term effect on many departments and ultimately drives us to devise cost effective training concepts," North Branford Fire Chief William Seward III said in the release. "North Branford has joined the list of suburban and rural fire departments in Connecticut that have sought funding to erect their own facilities. Farmington and Killingworth have done similar projects with great success."

By providing the department's 129-member professional volunteer firefighters with a place to train, Seward said he hopes to increase the agency's ISO rating. By having a formal training site in town, Seward said the department aims to improve the morale of its membership, diversify its training program, share its resources with its mutual aid partnerships and elevate the level of competence within the agency.

"We are an all-hazards fire department, delivering rapid and effective services to our community. We support our neighbors and they continue to support us; mutual aid cooperation is necessary based upon the state and federal laws, regulations and standards by which the fire service must operate today," Seward said in the release.

Last year, the North Branford Fire Department responded to 1,958 alarms. And this demand for service only continues to increase, Seward said in the release.

In addition to the dedication ceremony on Nov. 19, the department will display three new apparatuses -- Rescue 1, Rescue 2 and Tanker 3 -- that were recently approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners. All members of the public are invited to tour the training facility and view the department's new vehicles on Nov. 19.

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