Students who train to be firefighters at a Brandon college will have access to a brand new facility that mimics real-life burn situations.
The province announced on Friday the replacement of the Manitoba Emergency Services College‘s live-fire training building, which is 22-years-old.
In order to meet current national training standards, the building must either be upgraded or replaced. The building, known as a “burn house,” is specifically designed and built so that students can fight fires and experience real-life situations in a safe, controlled environment.
Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires says the new building will be specially designed to suit the college’s site at the Brandon airport. The old building will remain in use for students while the new facility is under construction.
“The Manitoba Emergency Services College here in Brandon is a critical training facility for firefighters and we want to ensure they have the best teaching tools available so when they graduate they are ready to respond to emergencies and save lives,” Squires said.
“This building has been heavily used for more than two decades and needs to be upgraded so students can train safely for this important career.”
Approximately 40 students graduate from the college every year.
Construction is expected to start next spring.
