Alamosa seeks live fire training facility funds

ALAMOSA — Alamosa city council Wednesday night lent its unanimous support to an application for a live fire training facility in Alamosa.

Alamosa Fire Chief Don Chapman said he has submitted an application to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control for funding for the facility, which would be located on city-owned property. The proposed location would be vacant property east of the cemetery and near the airport but not close enough to create any hazards for the airport.

Chapman said this would be a regional facility that firefighters in the San Luis Valley and surrounding areas could use for training. Currently, Alamosa firefighters have to go to Ignacio for this type of training, which is required for certification. The chief is sending seven firefighters to Ignacio for training next month, for example. He said it costs about $1,000 per person (for tuition and lodging, etc.) to send them to Ignacio for the training.

Chapman said the state would fund the building itself (and own it), but the fire department would secure the property and infrastructure such as the road and concrete pad. He said he wanted to accomplish the project without asking the council for funding. 

Although the state would own the building, the Alamosa fire department would serve as the host agency and operate out of the building for trainings. Chapman estimated the facility could host as many as 30-40 trainings a year.

Firefighters would gain crucial skills such as cutting into roofs or rescuing people from multi-story buildings, as the training facility would have at least two stories.

He added that having a live fire training facility here would also benefit ISO ratings, which affect fire insurance rates for local residents.

The chief said the facility would not use that much fuel or water, as it is designed to use a minimal amount of each. This facility would likely use a propane tank for the fuel.

He said he thought Alamosa had a good chance of receiving the funding for this facility since there is no other facility close by.

City councilors were excited about the prospect and supportive of the request for funding.

Caption: This is an example of the type of live fire training facility for which the Alamosa Fire Department is seeking funding./Courtesy photo