A new fire training tower is now online in Vincennes, and firefighters have already begun using it for training.
The tower’s construction started Monday last week and was concluded on Tuesday on Perdue Road. It’s part of a State of Indiana program that placed live-fire training facilities in select communities. Local fire departments prepared the site and added features to expand how the structure can be used.
The facility allows firefighters to train in realistic conditions, including search and rescue scenarios, multi-story operations, ventilation techniques, forcible entry, and rappelling from upper levels.
Vincennes City Fire Chief Brett Bobe said the structure was designed to support hands-on training that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere.
“We’ve got rooms where you can do search and rescue, stairs so you can go floor to floor, ventilation on the second story, forcible entry, and rappelling off the fourth floor,” Bobe said.
Training sessions at the tower started last last week and will continue as part of regular department training.
