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Published: Tuesday, 3/17/2015 - Updated: 2 days ago

Owens now hub for state fire training in NW Ohio

Community college will serve as regional site

BY RONEISHA MULLEN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Toledo Fire and Rescue’s Mark Wietrzykowski, left, and Sterling Rahe run a drill in the Mobile Search & Rescue Training Lab at Owens’ Perrysburg Township campus. Toledo Fire and Rescue’s Mark Wietrzykowski, left, and Sterling Rahe run a drill in the Mobile Search & Rescue Training Lab at Owens’ Perrysburg Township campus.
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Fire departments and emergency response teams statewide can now look to northwest Ohio for training.

Owens Community College and the State Fire Marshal’s Office announced a partnership Monday that will allow first responders attending the Ohio Fire Academy to further sharpen their skills at the college’s Center for Emergency Preparedness.

“This is a tremendous opportunity. We can share in curriculum and certifications,” said Jeff Leaming, Ohio’s chief deputy fire marshal. “It’s always been our goal to have training centers in other areas. It’s perfect for this region.”

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At Owens, responders can train for a number of emergency situations at the center, which is equipped with a full-size airplane that catches fire, confined space props, a space for live-burn demonstrations, and a burning gas station prop. A five-story structure is used to simulate searches and evacuations. An open indoor space, a rarity for training sites, allows for multiple uses.

Leaming Leaming
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“We can train for just about every situation,” Mark Briggs, fire training coordinator at Owens, said. “In the middle of January when it was negative 14 outside, we did three classes [indoors] where it was 65 degrees. You’re able to keep people’s attention, because they’re not focused on the cold.”

Before the partnership, the first of its kind for the academy, training was only available at the academy’s Reynoldsburg location. The Owens site now will serve as the northwest Ohio regional training site for the academy.

“Usually when you send crews out for training, they’re out for a whole day or two, because they’d have to drive to Columbus,” Mr. Leaming said. “Here, they may be able to take a couple hours off and go back to work or back home and they’ll get the same training.”

Contact RoNeisha Mullen at: rmullen@theblade.com, 419-343-3299.


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