The proposed Lamar County firefighters training center has been allotted $300,000 from the Legislature with local support, Fire Coordinator Kyle Hill said.
Hill received permission from the Board of Supervisors to seek funding on the facility in June, so he sought help from local legislators and made them aware of the project.
“Lamar County Fire Services owes a debt of gratitude to Sen. John Polk for securing these funds to get this project off the ground,” he said about the District 44 Republican. “His support and trust in the firefighters of Lamar County are obvious through this gesture.”
Polk told Hill, “I worked on this for the firefighters of Lamar County who give so much of their time and energy to protecting our county.”
Hill also included the Board of Supervisors, saying, “The support of the Lamar County Board of Supervisor for the Lamar County fire departments is obvious through many years of financial support in equipment, trucks, station, and overall funding of the fire services.”
The fire training complex will provide a massive opportunity for the county’s residents.
“This facility would provide Lamar County firefighters, both paid and volunteer, training opportunities that included but were not limited to live-fire scenarios,” Hill said. “This $300,000 is half of what we have been using as a working budget. This funding certainly moves this project along considerably.”
Hill talked about the first thoughts included with the facility when he first proposed it two months ago. However, he said the final design has not been set up.
“We are researching the various products that are available and have visited several training facilities in the region already to help us formulate what we need to include,” he said.
In June, he said, “We're talking about doing just building a burn training building. It's part of a two-story structure, and then there's one part of the three-story structure. So, I'd like to do some rappelling work, the rescue work, ladder work, and stuff like that.”
For controlled firefighting work, Hill said the training facility will use techniques for dealing with fires and breaching structures.
Hill said other facilities are also built in the state in Hattiesburg, Collins, Biloxi, and Gulfport.
“This facility is being designed to fit our specific needs in a central location to all Lamar County fire departments,” he said. “The location of this facility will allow us to expand to include other types of training scenarios and equipment. Anytime local officials allow money to be spent on training shows a true dedication to the services that are being provided to the residents of that area. Training such as this ensure the residents receive the best in fire protection.”
With more funding needed for the complete structure, Hill said he will be looking for more assistance.
“If any businesses or community members are looking for a worthy cause, we would welcome the opportunity to talk with them about helping out with the funding and sponsorship of this facility,” he said.