A new firefighter training facility in Vincennes is now in use, giving local departments access to live-fire training without leaving the region.
Construction on the new training tower began last Monday and was completed Thursday. Training started Friday, when instructors from the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy spent the weekend teaching a live fire certification course to 30 local instructors at the site.
The facility is designed to provide realistic training conditions while allowing Knox County and surrounding departments a closer place to train.
Vincennes Fire Chief Brett Bobe said the tower allows firefighters to move beyond classroom learning and apply their skills in controlled live-fire situations.
“It’s great to be able to come in here and do live firefighting,” Bobe said. “You can look at a book and you can practice skills in abandoned buildings, but to actually do it when you have heat from the fire makes a big difference.”
The structure supports a wide range of training scenarios, including interior fire attacks, search and rescue operations and ventilation techniques.
Officials say the controlled environment helps firefighters build experience safely while preparing for real-world emergencies.
Vincennes Township Fire Chief Tim Smith said the facility could also help departments address staffing challenges.
“Like all public safety positions right now, there is a shortage,” Smith said. “In Vincennes Township, we use both career and volunteer firefighters. This will help us keep new people trained and hopefully help fill those positions.”
The Vincennes site is part of Indiana’s hub-and-spoke firefighter training model, which is designed to bring standardized training closer to local departments. The state is investing more than $17 million to build new training facilities so most fire departments are within a 45-minute drive of a site.
Similar training facilities opened last year in Washington and Linton.
