The Training Center
The future of Red Lodge Fire Rescue.
Now, more than ever, we must be prepared.
The events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have clarified the importance of training for effective and safe emergency response. RLFR has dreamed of a dedicated place to train in controlled, realistic settings for over 20 years. The time has come. We must not put this off any longer.
The training center will enable members to do a wider array of training exercises including more advanced training which is currently very challenging to organize locally.
Key features of the training center include:
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A multi-story building where a range of realistic emergency scenarios can be simulated, including the following:
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Smoke and burn rooms where firefighters can practice on live fire.
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Moveable stairway feature where EMS can practice tight stretcher and gurney transports.
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Exterior climbing wall for Search and Rescue to practice rope rescue skills.
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Classroom space for CPR, Wilderness First Aid and all the other trainings conducted with storage for all the training gear is one of the most critical needs at the station.
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Concrete pads allow members to train in this messy but important exercise. Extricating people from car crashes is something our members need to excel at because it is a relatively frequent call.
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A large storage building will free up space in the main station which will allow for faster deployment of Search and Rescue vehicles and better protection of equipment.
We strive for excellence, you can help.
Help us take Red Lodge Fire Rescue to the next level by pledging your support to our dream of a Training Center! We are targeting ground breaking as soon as possible and need your help to make it a reality.
Red Lodge Fire Rescue is full of pride. We have 100 volunteers from the community, which is more than any volunteer department in the state. We train almost daily to make sure we are prepared for any emergency. Our training requirements are higher than required by the state. Our goal is to create a place where volunteers can easily plan and execute training, especially for highly technical skills.
Training sharpens our skills but also keeps us safe on the job. Above all, we need to keep our volunteers safe.
In 2020 we hope to begin construction on the Training Center, which includes:
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a “burn building”,
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classroom space,
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concrete burn pads, and
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a storage building.
A training center will allow us to recruit and retain excellent volunteers which is the lifeblood of our organization. Fire, EMS, Search and Rescue and law enforcement from surrounding communities will have access to the center. It will be the point of pride and the physical evidence of our commitment to excellence where members will gather to get better. It will enable us to provide even highly technical training right here at home where we can train on our own equipment.
This is more than just a Training Center. It will, for the first time, create a dedicated training space volunteers need for their own safety and for excellent service. This creates a space dedicated for training and solves the ever-present problem of finding an appropriate place for the wide range of training exercises run by volunteers each week.
The Training Center will include a storage building to free up precious space at the station and allow for quicker mobilization of key equipment. The burn building will give our firefighters the ability to practice with live fire. EMT’s will be able to practice the challenging task of transporting patients down tight stairways thanks to the moveable interior features. Search and Rescue volunteers can practice rope rescues on the outside of the building. The concrete pads are a space to practice messy but critical drills such as extricating people from car crashes.
The Training Center changes the future of RLFR. It will benefit volunteers, staff, the community and the region for generations to come. The project will be funded exclusively by private donations. Please help us make it happen.